LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Presented  by 


The   Wondrous   Cross 


BY    THE    SAME    AUTHOR 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE 

AND  OTHER  SERMONS 

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FOR   CHRIST'S  CROWN 

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WILBUR  B.  KETCHAM,  Publisher 
7  and  9  West  Eighteenth  Street,  New  York 


The  Wondrous  Cross 

and   Other   Sermons 


1923 


DAVID  JAMES^BURRELL,  D.D. 

Pastor  of  the  Collegiate  Church    at  Fifth  Avenue  and  sgth  Street 
New   York 


NEW   YORK 

AA^ILBUR     B.    KETCHAM 

7  and  9  West  Eighteenth  Street 


Copyright,  iSgS,  by 
Wilbur   B.  Ketcham 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The  Wondrous  Cross 5 

The  Easy  Yoke             i8 

An  Unfinished  Letter 30 

The  Steps  to  the  Ivory  Throne 41 

Selah 51 

One  Church 60 

The  Logia 73 

Everybody's  Preacher 84 

What  the  Law  Could  Not  Do 95 

I  Thirst 105 

Kneeling  at  Open  Windows 114 

In  the  Days  of  Herod,  the  King     .         .                  .         .  124 

The  Passover  Pilgrims 135 

EuoDiA  and  Syntyche 145 

The  Immeasurable  God 154 

How  the  Worlds  Were  Framed 165 

As  a  Refiner  of  Silver 177 

One  Religion  :   All  Others  False 187 

The  Glory  in  the  Face  of  Jesus          ....  202 

The  Dignity  of  Labor 213 

A  Plea  for  Fanaticism 224 

(3) 


CONTENTS 


The  Withered  Hand 236 

The  Beacon  on  Beth-Haccerem 247 

A  Certain  Nobleman 259 

The  Fortunate  Angel 269 

The  Pride  of  Naaman 279 

The  Hands  of  Jesus 289 

The  Strength  of  a  Young  Man 299 

The  Sword  of  Goliath 309 

The  Gospel  of  Certainty 320 

The  Tower  of  Babel 33 1 

The  Rending  of  the  Veil 34i 


THE  WONDROUS  CROSS. 

"  From  that  time  forth  began  Jesus  to  shew  unto  his  disciples,  how  that  he 
must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief 
priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again  the  third  day.  Then 
Peter  took  him,  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying.  Be  it  far  from  thee,  Lord  : 
this  shall  not  be  unto  thee.  But  he  turned,  and  said  unto  Peter,  Get  thee 
behind  me,  Satan :  thou  art  an  offence  unto  me :  for  thou  savourest  not  the 
things  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men."— Matt.  xvi.  21-23. 

In  the  religion  of  the  Parsees  there  are  two  su- 
preme beings:  Ormuzd,  *'the  Good,"  creator  and 
sustainer  of  all  things  bright  and  helpful;  and  Ahri- 
man,  "the  Black,"  who  presides  over  the  regions  of 
darkness,  evokes  the  malignant  passions,  and  stands 
sponsor  for  war  and  sorrow,  disease  and  death. 
These  two  are  perpetually  arrayed  against  each  other, 
the  gage  of  conflict  being  the  dominion  of  this  world. 
It  is  like  a  stupendous  game  of  chess,  in  which  wars 
and  truces,  the  convulsions  of  nature,  and  the  ups 
and  downs  of  history,  are  as  the  moves  of  pawns  and 
castles  upon  the  board.  It  is  impossible  to  say  how 
long  the  game  will  continue,  or  what  the  issue  will 
be,  inasmuch  as  the  contestants  are  coeval  and  co- 
equal.    Perhaps  it  will  go  on  forever. 

We  also  believe  in  two  great  powers  who  contend 
for  the  sovereignty  of  this  world,  but  they  are  not 
coequal.  One  is  infinite;  the  other — though  of  im- 
mense guile  and  resource — is  finite.     And  the  end  is 

(5) 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 


to  be  seen  from  the  beginning.  God  is  always  and 
everywhere  getting  the  upper  hand  of  Satan.  The 
world  grows  constantly  and  cumulatively  better  from 
century  to  century,  from  year  to  year,  from  day  to 
day.  Every  time  our  old  world  rolls  around,  it  rolls 
a  little  farther  into  the  light. 

"  The  eternal  step  of  progress  beats 
To  that  great  anthem,  calm  and  slow, 
Which  God  repeats. 
God  works  in  all  things  ;  all  obey 
His  first  propulsion  from  the  night. 
Wake  thou  and  watch  !     The  world  is  gray 
With  morning  light !" 

There  never  was  a  moment,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
eternal  ages,  when  God  did  not  intend  to  save  this 
world.  All  things  were  included  in  his  fore-knowledge. 
Sin,  suffering,  salvation,  the  casting  down  of  iniquity, 
and  the  restitution  of  all  things  in  the  fullness  of  time, 
were  from  eternity  present  before  him. 

In  one  of  the  boldest  and  most  picturesque  por- 
tions of  Scripture  we  are  introduced  into  the  coun- 
cils of  the  ineffable  Trinity.  The  three  Persons 
are  represented  as  in  solemn  conference  respecting 
the  deliverance  of  our  sin-stricken  race.  The  cry 
of  the  erring  and  perishing  has  come  up  into  their 
ears.  The  inquiry  is  heard,  "Whom  shall  we  send, 
and  who  will  go  for  us  ?  "  Then  the  only-begotten 
Son  offers  himself:  "Here  am  I;  send  me!"  He 
girds  himself  with  omnipotence,  binds  upon  his  feet 
the  sandals  of  salvation,  and  goes  forth  as  a  knight- 
errant  to  vindicate  and  rescue  the  children  of  men. 
When  next  we  behold  him,  he  is  a  child,  wrapped  in 
swaddling-clothes  and  lying  in  a  manger.     The  in- 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS.  ^ 

carnation  is  the  first  chapter  in  his  great  undertaking, 
and  a  necessary  part  of  it.  As  Anselm  says  in  Cur 
Deus  Homo — "  He  must  become  man  in  order  to  suf- 
fer, and  he  must  continue  to  be  God  in  order  that  he 
may  suffer  enough  for  all."  In  thus  assuming  our 
nature  he  laid  aside  the  form  of  his  Godhood  and 
"the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 
world  was  "  ;  but  he  never  lost  sight  of  his  beneficent 
purpose.  He  realized  constantly  that  he  had  come 
to  redeem  the  world  by  dying  for  it. 

In  one  of  the  earliest  pictures  of  the  nativity  he  is 
represented  as  lying  in  the  manger,  while  just  above 
him,  on  the  wall  of  the  stable,  is  the  shadow  of  a 
cross.  Holman  Hunt  paints  him  in  the  carpenter 
shop:  the  day's  work  is  over;  the  spent  toiler  lifts 
his  arms  in  an  attitude  of  utter  weariness,  and  the 
level  rays  of  the  setting  sun  cast  upon  the  wall  yon- 
der again  the  shadow  of  a  cross.  The  suggestion  is 
true:  he  was  born  under  that  shadow  and  lived  under 
it.  He  knew  that  he  had  come  to  die.  He  knew 
that,  inasmuch  as  the  penalty  had  been  passed  upon 
the  race,  "The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die,"  there 
could  be  no  deliverance  but  by  death.  Mors  jainia 
vitoe. 

A  company  of  Greeks,  on  one  occasion,  came,  say- 
ing, "We  would  see  Jesus. "  He  kept  them  waiting 
while  he  uttered  those  apparently  inconsequential 
words,  "Now  is  my  soul  troubled."  Why  should 
his  soul  be  troubled  ?  Because  he  saw  in  those  wait- 
ing Greeks  the  vanguard  of  a  great  multitude  who 
were  to  come  to  him  as  the  fruit  of  the  travail  of  his 
soul.  At  that  moment  he  felt  himself  passing  under 
the  shadow  of  the  cross — deeper,  darker  than  ever — 


8  THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 

to  pay  ransom  for  these  seeking  ones.  He  shrank 
from  the  bitterness  of  his  approaching  death,  yet 
knew  it  to  be  necessary  for  the  success  of  his  errand : 
*'Now  is  my  soul  troubled;  and  what  shall  I  say? 
Father^  save  me  from  this  hour?  Nay,  but  for  this 
cause  came  I  unto  this  hour.  Father,  glorify  thy 
name!''  He  had  come  to  die  for  sinners.  It  must 
needs  be.  He  knew  that  without  his  vicarious  death 
the  guilty  race  was  without  hope.  He  must  give 
''his  soul  an  offering  for  sin." 

It  could  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  Satan,  the 
prince  of  this  world,  would  suffer  his  power  to  slip 
away  without  a  desperate  effort  to  retain  it.  He 
would  put  forth  every  energy  and  use  every  means  to 
thwart  the  beneficent  purpose  of  Christ.  Thus  we 
account  for  those  extraordinary  manifestations  of 
malignant  energy,  during  the  years  of  Christ's  min- 
istry, known  as  "  demoniacal  possession."  Wherever 
a  soul  was  open  and  willing  to  be  used,  there  the  ad- 
versary entered  in.  The  plans  of  Jesus  must  be  over- 
turned; he  must  not  be  permitted  to  ransom  the 
world ;  he  must  not  die  for  it. 

Out  in  the  wilderness,  after  the  forty  days  of  fast- 
ing, the  adversary  met  Jesus  and  presented  to  his 
weak  and  suffering  soul  the  great  temptation.  He 
led  him  to  a  high  place,  and  with  a  wave  of  the  hand, 
directed  his  thought  to  all  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world,  saying,  "All  these  are  mine.  I  know  thy 
purpose:  thou  art  come  to  win  this  world  by  dying 
for  it.  Wh}^  pay  so  great  a  price  ?  I  know  thy  fear 
and  trembling — for  thou  art  flesh — in  view  of  the 
nails,  the  fever,  the  dreadful  exposure,  the  long 
agony.      Why  pay  so  great  a  price?     I  am  the  prince  of 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS.  9 

this  world.  One  act  of  homage,  and  I  will  abdicate  ! 
Fall  down  and  worship  me!  "  Never  before  or  since 
has  there  been  such  a  temptation,  so  specious,  so  al- 
luring. But  Jesus  had  covenanted  to  die  for  sinners. 
He  knew  there  was  really  no  other  way  of  accomplish- 
ing salvation  for  them.  He  could  not  be  turned 
aside  from  the  work  which  he  had  volunteered  to  do. 
Therefore  he  put  away  the  suggestion  with  the  word, 
*^Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan!  I  cannot  be  moved. 
I  know  the  necessity  that  is  laid  upon  me.  I  know 
that  my  way  to  the  kingdom  is  only  by  the  cross. 
I  am  therefore  resolved  to  suffer  and  die  for  the  de- 
liverance of  men." 

The  stress  of  this  temptation  was  over;  but  once 
and  again  it  returned,  as  when,  after  a  memorable 
day  of  preaching  and  wonder-working,  his  followers 
proposed  to  lead  him  to  Jerusalem  and  place  him 
upon  the  throne  of  David  (John  vi.  15);  and  he  ''de- 
parted into  a  mountain  alone."  He  could  not  accept 
the  kingdom  in  that  way. 

•  We  now  come  to  the  immediate  occasion  of  our 
context.  Jesus,  with  his  disciples,  was  on  his  last 
journey  to  Jerusalem — that  memorable  journey  of 
which  it  is  written,  *'  He  set  his  face  steadfastly  "  to- 
ward the  cross.  He  had  been  with  his  disciples  now 
three  years,  but  had  not  been  able  to  fully  reveal  his 
mission,  because  they  were  not  strong  enough  to 
bear  it.  A  man  with  friends,  yet  friendless,  lonely 
in  the  possession  of  his  great  secret,  he  had  longed 
to  give  them  his  full  confidence,  but  dared  not  ven- 
ture. Now,  as  they  journeyed  southward  through 
Caesarea  Philippi,  he  asked  them,  "Who  do  men  say 
that  I  am?"     And  they  answered,  "  Some  say  John 


lO  THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 

the  Baptist;  some,  Elias:  others,  Jeremias,  or  one 
of  the  prophets."  And  he  saith,  "  But  who  say  ye 
that  I  am  ?  "  Then  Peter — brave,  impulsive,  glori- 
ous Peter — witnessed  his  good  confession:  "Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  The 
hour  had  come!  His  disciples  were  beginning  to 
know^  him.  He  would  give  them  his  full  confidence. 
So  as  they  journeyed  toward  Jerusalem  he  told  them 
all — how  he  had  come  to  redeem  the  world  by  bear- 
ing its  penalty  of  death;  "he  began  to  show  them, 
how  he  must  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and 
chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed."  At  that 
point  Peter  could  hold  his  peace  no  longer,  but  be- 
gan to  rebuke  him,  saying,  "Be  it  far  from  thee, 
Lord!  To  suffer?  To  die  ?  Nay,  to  reign  in  Mes- 
sianic splendor!"  And  Jesus  turning,  said  unto  Pe- 
ter, "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan!  " — the  very  words 
with  which  he  had  repelled  the  same  suggestion  in 
the  wilderness.  As  he  looked  on  his  disciple  he  saw 
not  Peter,  but  Satan — perceived  how  the  adversary 
had  for  the  moment  taken  possession,  as  it  were,  of 
this  man's  brain  and  conscience  and  lips.  "  Get  thee 
behind  me,  Satan!  I  know  thee;  I  recognize  thy 
crafty  suggestion;  but  I  am  not  to  be  turned  aside 
from  my  purpose.  Get  thee  behind  me!  Thou  art 
an  offence  unto  me.  Thy  words  are  not  of  divine 
wisdom,  but  of  human  policy.  Thou  savorest  not 
the  things  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men!  '* 
We  are  now  ready  for  our  proposition,  which  is 
this :  The  vicarious  death  of  Jesus  is  the  vital  centre  of  the 
7cihoIe  Christian  system  j  a?id  any  word  which  co?itravenes  it 
is  in  the  nature  of  a  satanic  suggestiofi.  There  is  one 
truth  before  w^hich  all  other  truths  whatsoever  dwindle 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS.  H 

into  relative  insignificance,  to  wit,  that  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions  and 
bruised  for  our  iniquities,  that  by  his  stripes  we 
might  be  healed.  The  man  who  apprehends  this  by- 
faith  is  saved  by  it. 

And  contrariwise,  any  denial  of  this  truth  is  mortal 
heresy.  The  first  satanic  suggestion  made  to  man 
was  a  denial  of  the  law,  when  the  tempter  said  to 
Adam,  *'Thou  shalt  not  surely  die."  The  last  sa- 
tanic suggestion  is  a  denial  of  grace:  *'It  is  not  ne- 
cessary that  Christ  should  die  for  thee."  The  first 
ruined  the  race,  and  the  last  will  destroy  any  man 
who  entertains  it. 

The  suggestion  comes  in  various  ways,  as  when  it  is 
said  that  the  gospel  is  not  the  only  religion  that  saves: 
**If  a  man  is  sincere,  what  difference  does  it  make  ? 

'  For  forms  of  faith  let  canting  bigots  fight, 
His  faith  cannot  be  wrong  whose  life  is  right.* 

Here  is  a  Confucianist  bowing  before  his  ancestral 
tablets;  here  is  a  Brahman  bathing  in  his  sacred 
river;  and  here  an  African  kneeling  before  his  fetish. 
All  these  are  sincere;  shall  they  not  be  saved  with 
us  ? "  If  so,  then  the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  the  Father,  was  an  incom- 
prehensible waste  of  divine  resource,  and  there  is  no 
significance  in  the  word  that  is  written:  "There  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

It  is  said  again,  that  we  are  saved  by  the  life  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  an  example  of  holiness,  leading 
us  on  to  self-culture  and  character-building,  and  his 
death  has  practically  nothing  to  do  with  our  entrance 


12  THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 

into  life.  If  that  is  true,  then  Christ  did  but  mock 
our  infirmity  in  setting  up  such  an  ideal.  He  did 
indeed  come  into  the  world  to  tell  us  how  men  ought 
to  live,  what  a  true  man  ought  to  be,  what  character 
means.  That  was  incidental  to  his  great  redemptive 
mission,  leading  us  on  from  deliverance  to  holi- 
ness. But  if  that  were  all,  then  I  say  he  mocked  our 
infirmity.  For  there  is  not  an  earnest  man  who  does 
not  kneel  down  beside  his  bed  at  night,  after  his 
most  strenuous  effort  to  imitate  Christ,  and  say, 
"  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,  for  I  have  sinned." 
We  have  all  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of 
God. 

Again,  it  is  said  that  Christ  did  not  die  vicariously, 
under  the  burden  of  sin,  taking  our  place  before  the 
offended  law,  but  died  as  all  martyrs  die.  "  He  came 
into  the  world  as  a  reformer,  to  overthrow  the  evil 
condition  of  things,  and  suffered  the  fate  of  all  earn- 
est souls.  He  gathered  into  his  devoted  heart  the 
shafts  of  the  adversary,  and  fell."  If  that  be  so,  what 
is  the  meaning  of  the  constant  statement  that  the 
death  of  Jesus  Christ  was  a  voluntary  death  ?  The 
Father  gave  him,  he  gave  himself,  an  offering  for 
sin.  "  I  have  power  to  lay  down  my  life,  and  I  have 
power  to  take  it  again ;  no  man  taketh  my  life  from 
me."  Life  was  his;  he  made  it;  he  played  with  it  as 
little  children  play  with  their  toys. 

I.  To  deny  this  doctrine  of  the  vicarious  atonement^ 
in  any  of  these  ways  or  otherwise,  is  to  set  one's  self 
athwart  the  whole  tretid  of  Scripture.  For  from  Gene- 
sis to  Revelation  there  is  a  thoroughfare  stained 
with  the  blood  that  cleanseth  from  sin.  No  sooner 
had  man  sinned  than  the  protevangel  spoke  of  the 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS.  j^ 

"Seed  of  the  woman"  suffering  for  sin.  The  first 
altar,  reared  by  the  closed  gate  of  paradise,  proph- 
esied of  the  slain  Lamb  of  God.  As  the  years 
passed,  the  prophets  declared,  with  ever-increasing 
clearness  and  particularity,  the  coming  sacrifice. 
David  sang  of  it  in  his  Messianic  psalms.  Isaiah 
drew  the  portrait  of  the  agonizing  Christ  as  if  he  had 
gazed  on  the  cross:  "He  is  a  man  of  sorrows, 
and  acquainted  with  grief  .  .  .  Surely  he  hath  borne 
our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows.  .  .  .  And  the 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  The 
same  truth  was  emphasized  by  Moses,  Daniel,  Zecha- 
riah,  all  the  prophets  down  to  Malachi,  who,  waving 
his  torch  in  the  twilight  of  the  long  darkness  which 
closed  the  old  economy,  said,  "The  sun  of  righteous- 
ness shall  arise  with  healing  in  his  wings."  Open 
the  Book  where  you  will,  the  face  of  Jesus,  "so  marred 
more  than  any  man's,"  yet  divinely  beautiful,  looks 
out  upon  you. 

The  rites  and  symbols  of  the  Old  Testament  all 
find  their  fulfilment  in  Christ  crucified.  Their  centre 
was  the  tabernacle.  Enter  it  and  observe  how  it  is 
everywhere  sprinkled  with  blood.  Here  is  blood 
flowing  down  the  brazen  altar,  blood  on  the  ewer, 
the  golden  candlestick,  the  table  of  showbread,  the 
altar  of  incense;  blood  on  the  floor,  the  ceiling,  on 
posts  and  pillars,  on  knops  and  blossoms,  everywhere. 
Lift  the  curtain  and  pass  into  the  holiest  of  all — but 
not  without  blood  on  your  palms.  Here  is  blood  on 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  blood  on  the  mercy-seat — 
blood,  blood  everywhere.  What  does  it  mean  ?  No- 
thing, absolutely  nothing,  unless  it  declares  the  ne- 
cessity of   the  cross.     It    is  an  empty   dumb-show, 


14 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 


except  as  it  points  the  worshiper  to  Him  whose  vica- 
rious death  is  the  only  means  of  our  salvation. 

Wherefore  I  say,  the  man  who  denies  this  truth 
must  set  himself  against  the  sum  and  substance  of 
the  Scriptures.  For  if  the  atoning  death  of  Christ 
be  taken  out  of  that  blessed  Book  it  is,  as  a  solu- 
tion of  the  great  problem  of  life,  of  no  more  value 
than  a  last  year's  almanac. 

2.  Again,  a  denial  of  this  doctrine  involves  a  downright 
rejection  of  the  philosophy  of  history. 

The  world  has  been  growing  better  ever  since  the 
cross  first  cast  its  luminous  shadow  over  it.  Progress 
is  a  fact — a  fact  that  must  be  accounted  for.  Hume 
undertook  to  write  history  without  Christ,  and  found 
it  a  labyrinth  without  a  clue.  So  did  Gibbon.  They 
saw  civilization  advancing  through  the  centuries ;  but, 
rejecting  Christ,  they  could  perceive  no  reason  for  it. 
The  "logic  of  events  "  was  nothing  to  them.  There 
can,  indeed,  be  no  "philosophy  of  history"  for  a 
man  who  refuses  to  see  Constantine's  cross  in  the 
heavens,  with  its  great  prophecy,  ^^  In  hoc  signo.''  It 
is  a  miraculous  coincidence  that  the  limits  of  civiliza- 
tion on  earth  to-day  are  coextensive  with  the  charmed 
circle  known  as  Christendom.  "The  world  before 
Christ,"  says  Luthardt,  "was  a  world  without  love." 
The  church  with  the  proclamation  of  Christ,  and  him 
crucified,  has  come  down  through  the  centuries,  like 
Milton's  angel  with  the  torch;  and  all  along  the  way 
have  sprung  up  institutions  of  learning  and  charity  and 
righteousness.  The  cross  is  the  vital  power  of  civili- 
zation. "All  the  light  of  sacred  "  and  of  secular  story 
as  well  "gathers  round  its  head  sublime."  If  the 
world  grows  better,  it  is  because  Christ  died  for  it. 


\ 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 


15 


3.  Still  further,  to  deny  the  vital  importaiice  of  the 
vicarious  death  of  Jesus  is  to  contradict  the  utiiversal 
instinct  of  mankind. 

The  doctrine  of  the  redemptive  power  of  substitu- 
tionary pain  is  not  our  exclusive  property.  It  has, 
indeed,  a  place  in  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  false  religions. 
It  may  be  dimly  seen  in  the  hammer  of  Thor;  in  the 
grounded  foot  of  Brahma  treading  on  the  serpent;  in 
the  fable  of  Prometheus,  bound  to  the  Caucasus  with 
a  vulture  at  his  vitals,  and  lamenting,  ''I  must  en- 
dure this  until  one  of  the  gods  shall  bear  it  for  me." 
It  is  still  more  evident  in  the  institution  of  the  sacri- 
fice. Wherever  a  living  thing  is  slain  upon  the  altar, 
it  means  vicarious  expiation,  or  else  it  means  nothing 
at  ail. 

And  why  should  it  be  thought  strange  that  God 
should  send  his  only-begotten  Son  to  suffer  in  our 
stead  ?  Is  not  sympathy  the  noblest  as  well  as  the  com- 
monest thing  in  human  experience  ?  Men  are  suffer- 
ing everywhere  and  always  for  other  men.  Parents 
are  suffering  for  their  children.  The  pains  which  we 
all  endure  are,  for  the  most  part,  not  the  consequence 
of  our  own  acts.  At  this  point  of  sympathy  our  na- 
ture reaches  its  noblest  and  best.  We  esteem  above 
all  the  unselfish  man  who  voluntarily  bears  the  bur- 
dens of  others.  Should  we  not,  then,  expect  some- 
thing of  the  same  sort  in  our  Father  ?  He  made  us 
in  his  likeness.  It  would  be  monstrous  if  God  did 
not  sympathize  with  his  children  who  have  fallen  into 
trouble.  The  cross  is  the  very  highest  expression  of 
sympathy  in  the  universe.  The  atonement  is  what 
we  should  expect.     It  is  just  like  God. 

And  it  is   God's  exact  response   to  the  universal 


1 6  THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 

need.  It  fits  our  circumstances.  As  Coleridge  said, 
' '  The  gospel  finds  me. "  It  answers  the  deepest  long- 
ing of  earnest  souls.  Dr.  Chamberlain  relates,  that 
among  those  converted  by  his  preaching  at  the  sacred 
city  of  Benares  was  a  devotee  who  had  dragged  him- 
self many  miles  upon  his  knees  and  elbows  to  bathe 
in  the  Ganges.  He  had  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart  the 
common  conviction  of  sin  and  desire  of  cleansing. 
"  If  I  can  but  reach  the  Ganges,"  he  thought,  "this 
shame  and  bondage  and  fear  will  be  taken  away." 
Weak  and  emaciated  from  his  long  pilgrimage,  he 
dragged  himself  down  to  the  river's  edge  and,  pray- 
ing to  Gunga,  crept  into  it;  then  withdrawing,  he  lay 
upon  the  river's  bank  and  moaned,  "  The  pain  is  still 
here!  "  At  that  moment  he  heard  a  voice  from  the 
shadow  of  a  banyan-tree  near  by.  It  was  the  mis- 
sionary telling  the  story  of  the  cross.  The  devotee 
listened,  and  drank  it  in,  rose  to  his  knees,  then  to 
his  feet;  then,  unable  to  restrain  himself,  he  clapped 
his  hands  and  cried,  "  That's  what  I  want!  That's 
what  I  want!"  It  is  what  we  all  want;  the  whole 
creation  has  from  time  immemorial  groaned  and  tra- 
vailed for  it. 

And  it  is  our  only  hope.  There  are  other  religions 
and  other  philosophies,  but  none  that  suggests  a  ra- 
tional plan  of  pardon  for  sin.  Spes  unica.  I  remem- 
ber an  old  crucifix,  in  the  public  square  of  a  Brittany 
village,  which  no  one  passed  without  bending  the 
knee.  Workmen  on  their  way  to  the  fields,  little 
children  going  to  school,  all  bowed  before  that  stone 
figure  of  the  Christ,  which  the  storms  of  centuries 
had  w^orn  almost  out  of  human  semblance.  The  last 
night,  as  I  was  leaving  the  village  in  the  twilight,  I 


THE    WONDROUS    CROSS. 


17 


saw  an  old  woman  bent  almost  prostrate  before  it. 
Her  hands  were  clasped;  her  uplifted  face  bore  the 
marks  of  suffering.  I  could  not  know  the  bitterness 
of  that  poor  heart,  but  her  eyes  were  turned  toward 
the  intinite  Source  of  help  and  consolation.  The 
dear  hand  upon  the  cross  lifts  every  burden,  heals 
every  wound,  and  saves  us  from  the  penalty,  the 
shame,  and  the  bondage  of  sin. 

And  this  is  why  we  preach  Christ,  and  him  cruci- 
fied. "  There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given 
among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  ''  He  w^as 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised 
for  our  iniquities;  and  with  his  stripes  w^e  are 
healed."  He  is  thus  made  unto  us  wisdom  and  right- 
eousness and  sanctification  and  redemption.  He  is 
first,  last,  midst,  and  all  in  all. 


Preached  in  Battell  Chapel  of  Tale  University,  and  here  reprinted,  by  courtesy  of 
Fleming  H.  Kevell  Co.,  from  "The  Culture  of  Christian  Manhood." 


THE  EASY  YOKE 

"  My  yoke  is  easy."— Matt.  xi.  30. 

Capernaum  had  a  triple  fame.  It  was  beautiful 
for  situation,  and  was  known  as  ''the  Pearl  of  Gen- 
nesaret";  as  if  it  were  a  gem  cast  up  by  the  waters 
of  that  pleasant  inland  sea.  It  was  known  also  far 
and  wide  for  its  fishing  industry.  Zebedee  and  his 
sons,  with  other  fishermen,  moored  their  fleets  and 
dragged  their  nets  along  its  shores.  Its  chief  renown, 
however,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  Jesus  dwelt  there. 
It  was  called  ''his  own  city."  The  only  perfect  man 
who  ever  lived,  walked  among  its  people  and  gave 
them  to  know  the  full  meaning  of  manhood  and 
character.  He  preached  to  them  the  great  truths; 
' '  burning  thoughts  in  breathing  words. "  He  wrought 
miracles  of  healing  there;  opening  the  eyes  of  the 
blind,  cleansing  lepers,  and  raising  the  dead.  Surely 
the  people  of  Capernaum  should  have  been  righteous 
above  those  of  all  the  neighboring  towns. 

But,  alas  !  the  Scotch  proverb  is  too  often  true, 
"Anear  the  kirk,  afar  frae  God."  The  miracles  of 
Jesus  were  a  nine-days'  wonder  in  Capernaum.  His 
sermons  were  as  water  poured  upon  the  ground, 
which  cannot  be  gathered  up  again.  The  example 
of  his  perfect  life  was  of  no  avail.     The  light  shone 

(18) 


THE    EASY    YOKE.  1 9 

in    the    darkness,    and    the    darkness    comprehended 
it  not. 

At  last  the  patience  of  Jesus  was  worn  out,  and  an 
admonition  fell  from  his  lips  as  terrible  as  the  light- 
ning of  Sinai:  '' Woe  unto  thee,  Capernaum!  Thou 
hast  been  exalted  unto  heaven;  thou  shalt  be  brought 
down  to  hell!  "  Then  straightway  his  voice  fell  and 
became  as  gentle  as  a  mother's  lullaby;  and  he 
stretched  forth  his  hands,  saying,  "Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ; 
for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart:  and  ye  shall  find 
rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my 
burden  is  light." 

*'  Come !  "  It  is  a  wonderful  word — a  great  word — 
with  the  heart  of  the  Infinite  throbbing  through  it. 
It  rings  through  the  Scriptures  like  a  morning  greet- 
ing echoing  down  a  ravine  amid  the  mountains.  The 
Old  Book  opens  with  it:  ''Come  thou  and  all  thy 
house  into  the  ark."  It  is  resonant  everywhere: 
"Come  now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the 
Lord:  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be 
as  white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 
they  shall  be  as  wool";  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirst- 
eth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no 
money;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat;  yea,  come,  buy  wine 
and  milk  without  money  and  without  price."  And 
the  closing  of  the  seals  shows  heaven  and  earth  in 
vociferous  accord:  "The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say. 
Come!  And  let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come!  And 
let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let 
him  take  the  water  of  life  freely."  The  patriarchs 
passed  the  sweet  invitation  on  to  the  prophets;  the 


20  THE    EASY    YOKE. 

prophets  to  the  apostles  and  evangelists;  and  they, 
through  a  multitude  of  ambassadors,  down  to  me, 
who,  as  a  minister  of  Jesus,  in  his  stead  beseech  you 
in  his  words,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

If  you,  my  good  friend,  do  not  enter  into  the  ful- 
ness of  the  inheritance  of  Christ,  it  will  not  be  be- 
cause he  has  not  invited  you. 

But  let  there  be  no  mistake.  Christ  wants  follow- 
ers, but  they  must  come  advisedly,  and  in  full  recog- 
nition of  the  fact  that  his  service  is  no  sinecure.  He 
was  the  frankest  teacher  that  ever  spake  to  the  chil- 
dren of  men.  He  had  come  all  the  way  from  heaven 
to  win  them,  and  was  ready  to  give  his  life  in  their 
behalf;  but  he  must  tell  them  the  whole  truth.  Once 
when  a  company  of  these  same  people  of  Capernaum 
came  trooping  after  him,  he  turned  and  said,  "Come, 
but  count  the  cost.  See  yonder  ruined  tower!  A 
certain  man  began  to  build,  and  was  not  able  to  finish ; 
and,  behold,  all  that  pass  by  point  their  fingers  at 
him."  And  it  is  written,  "Many  turned  back  and 
followed  him  no  more."  It  means  something  to  be  a 
Christian.  "If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  daily,  and 
follow  me." 

Our  text  is  bi-frontal:  it  looks  two  ways.  One  of 
its  faces  is  stern  and  forbidding;  the  other  is  as 
bright  as  a  May  morning. 

I.  On  the  o?!£  hand  the  Christian  life  is  set  forth  as  a 
Yoke.  No  more  repellent  figure  could  have  been 
found.  The  service  of  Christ  is  elsewhere  character- 
ized in  other  ways,  but  there  is  always  inspiration  in 
the  metaphor.      Not  so  here. 


THE    EASY    YOKE.  21 

For  example,  it  is  a  warfare.  We  go  forth,  not 
against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities  and 
powers.  There  is  no  discharge  in  this  war.  Where- 
fore put  ye  on  the  whole  armor  of  God :  the  girdle  of 
truth,  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  sandals  of  the 
preparation  of  the  gospel,  the  helmet  of  salvation 
with  its  waving  plume,  in  your  right  hand  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God.  Thus  armed 
and  panoplied, 

"  Fight  on,  my  soul,  till  death 
Shall  bring  thee  to  thy  God. 
He'll  take  thee  at  thy  parting  breath 
Up  to  his  blest  abode." 

Here  is  abundant  stimulus  —  the  banner  and  the 
bugle-blast,  the  hope  of  victory,  and  the  crown  of 
righteousness  that  fadeth  not  away. 

The  Christian  life  is  also  husbandry.  Go  forth, 
bearing  the  precious  seed ;  sow  beside  all  waters ; 
scatter  the  seed-corn  along  through  the  furrows, 
though  it  seem  like  wasting  your  children's  bread. 
Bury  your  life  for  Jesus'  sake;  for  except  a  corn  of 
wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone; 
but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit.  Here 
again  is  inspiration.  The  sower  sees  with  prophetic 
eye  the  waving  harvest.  He  hears  the  groaning  of 
the  loaded  wains  on  their  way  to  the  granaries  and 
the  song  of  the  harvest-home.  As  it  is  written,  "  He 
that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed, 
shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing 
his  sheaves  with  him." 

The  service  of  Christ  is  also  a  strenuous  game. 
We  stand  like  the  Olympic  athletes,  with  our  feet 
at  the  crimson  line,  stripped  to  the  waist,  every  nerve 


2  2  THE    EASY    YOKE. 

and  sinew  tense,  eyes  fixed  upon  the  distant  goal. 
The  galleries  are  filled  with  a  great  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses; wherefore  let  us  run  with  steadfastness  the 
race  that  is  set  before  us.  *'  Forgetting  the  things 
which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  the  things 
which  are  before,  let  us  press  toward  the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Ah!  here,  too,  is  inspiration! 

But  what  is  there  to  quicken  the  pulse  in  this  dull 
picture  ? — two  patient,  meek-eyed  oxen,  with  their 
necks  bowed  to  the  burden,  asking  no  question,  mak- 
ing no  suggestion,  uncomplaining,  unresisting,  plod- 
ding on,  plodding  on. 

The  yoke  means  laboj-,  to  begin  with.  The  Christian 
life  is  more  than  creed.  It  is  more  than  a  name  on  a 
church  roster.  It  is  more  than  emotion,  hosannas, 
and  hallelujahs.  It  is  more  than  self -culture.  It 
involves  more  or  less  of  these,  but  something  far  be- 
yond. Go,  work  !  We  sing,  "The  gospel  ship  is 
sailing,  sailing,  bound  for  Canaan's  happy  shore." 
But  in  fact  this  business  is  not  a  ship  in  which  a  man 
can  pay  his  fare  like  Jonah,  engage  an  outside  state- 
room, and  so  pass  comfortably  on  to  the  better  land ; 
it  is  a  trireme  rather,  with  many  banks  of  oars — an 
oar  for  every  soul,  and  every  soul  bound  to  bend  to 
his  oar  until  the  keel  shall  grate  upon  the  sand  of  the 
Far  Country. 

A  young  man  asked  of  Jesus,  "Are  there  few  that 
be  saved?"  He  answered,  "Strive  to  enter  in;  for 
many  shall  seek  to  enter  in  and  shall  not  be  able." 
The  word  "strive"  is,  literally,  '^agonize.'' 

"  There's  a  work  for  me  and  a  work  for  you, 
Something  for  each  of  us  now  to  do." 


THE   EASY    YOKE.  23 

The  yoke  means,  also,  self-abnegation.  ''If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself."  These 
patient  oxen  are  not  working  for  themseWes.  They 
have  no  purpose  of  their  own;  they  only,  always  do 
their  master's  will. 

The  three  steps  to  heaven  are  these:  "  out  of  self, 
unto  Christ,  into  glory."  But  the  beginning  is  out  of 
self.  The  man  who  truly  follows  Christ  puts  self 
more  and  more  into  the  background.  Self-pleasing, 
self-emolument,  self-salvation,  self-culture,  all  these 
dwindle  in  view  of  the  ever-increasing  importance  of 
caring  for  the  interests  of  a  perishing  world  and  the 
glory  of  God.  A  better  hymn  than  "When  I  can 
read  my  title  clear,"  is  "Throw  out  the  life-line;" 
and  better  still,  "All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name!  " 
We  do  not  come  up  to  the  full  measure  of  the  stature 
of  Christ  until  our  lives  are  blended  with  his;  not 
until  we  can  speak  as  Luther  did :  "If  any  man  come 
and  knock  at  my  breast  and  ask,  '  Does  Martin 
Luther  live  here  ? '  I  answer,  '  Nay,  not  now;  he  did  ; 
but  now  Jesus  Christ  lives  here." 

The  yoke,  furthermore,  means  co-operation  with  Ch'ist. 
This  is  indicated  in  the  term  cross-bearing,  "  If  any 
man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and 
take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me." 

At  this  point  let  us  correct  a  misapprehension. 
There  are  good  people  who  speak  of  their  sorrows 
and  adversities  as  crosses.  A  bad  temper,  a  hacking 
cough,  a  bereavement,  a  vicious  appetite,  a  skeleton 
in  the  closet;  these  are  referred  to  as  crosses.  In- 
deed, they  are  hard  to  bear,  and  there  is  a  great  re- 
ward for  those  who  patiently  endure  "the  whips  and 
scorns  of  time,  the  slings  and  arrows  of  outrageous 


24  THE    EASY    YOKE. 

fortune."  Here  is  the  promise:  "No  affliction  for 
the  present  seemeth  joyous,  but  grievous;  but  in  the 
end  it  worketh  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness 
to  them  that  are  exercised  thereby."  Nevertheless 
these  are  not  crosses.  The  harrow  is  one  thing,  the 
cross  another. 

What  is  the  cross  ?  It  gets  its  name  and  all  its 
significance  from  the  analogy  of  the  cross  of  Jesus. 
And  what  was  that  ?  A  voluntary  work  which  he 
undertook  for  the  salvation  of  men — a  work  involving 
pain,  unceasing  effort,  self-sacrifice,  even  unto  death. 
This  was  not  thrust  upon  him  ;  he  had  power  to  lay 
it  down  and  power  to  take  it  up.  He  lifted  his 
cross  and  carried  it  up  the  slopes  of  Calvary  until  his 
great  heart  brake  under  it.  And  this  he  did  volun- 
tarily, for  the  deliverance  of  the  world  from  sin.  The 
cross  which  he  invites  us  to  bear,  is  like  his  own;  it 
means  participation  in  the  great  work  of  delivering 
the  world  from  its  shame  and  horror  of  sin.  "As  the 
Father  hath  sent  me  into  the  world,"  he  said,  "so 
send  I  you."  He  came  to  answer  the  world's  cry  for 
help.  He  sends  us  also  to  answer  it.  No  man  has 
taken  up  his  cross,  therefore,  in  the  true  sense,  until 
he  has  entered  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  in  his  great 
work  for  the  deliverance  of  the  souls  of  men. 

All  this  is  suggested  in  the  figure  of  the  yoke. 
Does  it  seem  beyond  our  strength  ?  Let  us  turn  then 
to  the  brighter  side. 

II.  "  J/y  yoke  is  easy.''  This  is  singular.  It  is  a 
paradox.  Yokes  are  not  easy  as  a  rule.  Ask  the 
slave  in  Pharaoh's  brickyard,  making  bricks  without 
straw  under  the  lash  of  a  hard  task-master,  whether 
he  finds  his  yoke  easy:  and  he  will  tell  you  that  he 


THE    EASY    YOKE  25 

wets  his  pillow  with  his  tears.  Ask  the  captive 
dragged  at  the  chariot  wheels  of  his  conqueror,  if  he 
finds  his  yoke  easy;  and  he  will  answer,  "It  is  bit- 
terer than  death."  Ask  the  sensualist  who  has  pur- 
sued pleasure  until  pleasure  has  turned  upon  him 
with  a  whip  of  scorpions, — who  has  lived  in  self- 
gratification  until  the  last  Sodom-apple  has  changed 
to  ashes  on  his  lips, — whether  his  yoke  is  easy:  and 
he  will  say  as  Lord  Byron  did, — poor  Byron,  who 
died  of  old  age  at  thirty-six: — 

"My  days  are  in  the  yellow  leaf; 

The  flowers  and  fruits  of  love  are  gone; 
The  worm,  the  canker,  and  the  grief 
Are  mine  alone  !  " 

Now  ask  the  old  father  sitting  with  his  Bible  on  his 
knee,  burdened  with  his  years,  and  searching  out 
with  dim  eyes  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,  how  he  has  found  Christ's  burden;  and  he 
will  tell  you,  that  it  has  been  light  as  the  featjiers  on 
a  bird's  wing  with  which  it  mounts  toward  the  skies. 
But  why  is  this  ?  What  makes  the  Christian  yoke 
easy,  while  all  others  are  so  heavy  to  be  borne  ? 

(i)  //  is  because  this  yoke  is  always  for  two.  It  is  not 
his  will  that  any  of  his  followers  should  bear  it  alone. 
Did  He  not  say,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world  ?  "  No  friend  is  so  near; 
He  is  nearer  than  seeing,  nearer  than  touching.  His 
help  is  more  than  sympathy;  omnipotence  is  behind 
it. 

Have  you  been  making  a  brave  effort  to  conquer  a 
darling  sin  ?  Have  you  gone  out  full-armed  with 
holy  purpose  to  overthrow  a  habit  that  has  gained 
dominion  over  you?  and  have  you  failed,  failed  again 


26  THE    EASY    YOKE 

and  again  ignominiously?  Ah,  my  friend,  you  left 
him  out  of  the  reckoning  !  Try  it  again,  and  try  it 
with  Jesus  at  your  side;  the  Mighty  One  who  never 
lost  a  battle,  and  who  longs  to  fulfil  to  you  his  great 
promise,  ''the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
you."  It  is  not  you  alone  who  are  to  get  the  better 
of  your  sins;  it  is  Christ  and  you. 

Have  you  a  difficult  duty  to  perform  ?  Do  you 
shrink  from  it  as  hard  and  forbidding  ?  Remember 
that  this  yoke  is  for  two,  and  when  you  go  to  meet 
this  responsibility,  say  to  yourself,  "  Not  I,  but  Christ 
and  I. "  We  sing,  ' '  One  more  day's  work  for  Jesus ;  " 
suppose  we  put  it  this  way,  "One  more  day's  work 
with  Jesus." 

O  blessed  work  with  Jesus,  ^^ 

O  rest  at  Jesus'  feet; 

There  toil  seems  pleasure, 

My  wants  are  treasure, 
And  pain  with  him  is  sweet, 

Have  you  been  offering  a  prayer  for  years,  and 
mourning  because  there  was  no  answer  nor  any  that 
regarded, — a  prayer  perhaps  for  the  conversion  of  a 
dear  friend  or  the  reclaiming  of  a  wayward  son  ?  You 
have  sprinkled  the  mercy-seat  with  your  tears  in  vain, 
crying,  "How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long?"  Alas  for 
your  intercessory  success!  you  have  made  your  prayer 
alone.  Now  kneel  again  at  the  mercy-seat  and  feel 
that  close  beside  you  is  kneeling  the  One  who  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  you,  and  say  within 
your  heart,  "It  is  not  I  who  make  this  prayer,  but 
Christ  and  I." 

We  who  are  appointed  as  ambassadors  to  preach  the 
gospel   of   salvation,    ascend    our   pulpit   stairs   with 


THE    EASY    YOKE.  27 

trembling  knees,  saying,  "Who  is  sufficient  unto 
these  things  ?  "  O  brethren  of  the  ministry,  we  for- 
get. This  is  not  our  work ;  we  are  but  underlings. 
We  do  not  preach  alone;  he  stands  beside  us  in  the 
sacred  place.  It  is  not  I,  but  always  Christ  and  I, 
"  Lo  I  am  with  you,"  is  his  word.  And  ours  should  be, 
"I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strength- 
eneth  me." 

(2)  The  yoke  is  also  easy  by  reason  of  the  mens  conscia 
recti ;  that  is,  the  sense  of  doing  right.  In  all  the  world 
there  is  nothing  so  uplifting  as  a  good  conscience. 
I  know  that  it  is  right  to  love  God.  I  know  that  it  is 
right  to  surrender  myself  as  a  living  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord  Christ  who  gave  himself  for  me.  I  know  that 
it  is  right  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  the  behalf  of  my 
fellow-men.  If  a  bad  conscience  makes  cowards  of  us 
all,  by  the  same  token  a  good  conscience  nerves  the 
heart  and  strengthens  us  like  a  girdle  about  our  loins. 

An  old  chronicler  says  of  Saint  Perpetua,  that  as 
she  was  brought  from  her  dungeon  and  led  under  the 
great  arch  to  the  Arena,  her  inquisitor  called  her 
attention  to  the  roar  of  the  lions  and  said,  "There 
is  yet  time  to  speak  the  word  and  live."  She  laid 
her  hand  upon  her  heart  and  answered,  "  I  have 
that  here  which  makes  me  fearless,"  and  so  passed  on 
to  death.  As  the  wild  beasts  fell  upon  her,  she  lifted 
her  eyes  and  hands  to  heaven  and  sang,  "  Glory  to 
the  Father  and  to  the  Son  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now  and  ever  shall  be, 
world  without  end.  Amen."  A  little  later  her 
mangled  body  was  carried  out  on  a  bier;  and  the  old 
bishop  of  the  city  laid  his  hand  upon  her  blood-stained 
face,  gently  parted  the  clotted  hair,  and  said,  "  I  give 


28  THE    EASY    YOKE. 

thee  joy,  my  daughter!  "  A  strange  word  at  such  a 
moment.  And  yet  why  not  ?  There  is  nothing  bet- 
ter in  heaven  or  on  earth  than  the  sense  of  right 
doing.  There  is  nothing  better  to  live  by,  nothing 
better  to  die  by. 

(3)  And  there  is  still  another  consideration  which 
makes  the  yoke  easy  and  the  burden  light;  that  is,  the 
great  reward.  No  man  hath  given  up  aught  for  Christ 
but  that  he  shall  receive  in  this  present  time  an  hun- 
dredfold and  in  the  time  to  come  life  everlasting. 

In  this  present  time  an  hundredfold!  Here  is  a 
rare  investment  in  gold-bearing  bonds.  If  there  were 
no  eternity,  if  there  were  no  heaven,  the  service  of 
Christ  pays  for  itself  here  and  now.  We  take  of  the 
grapes  of  Eshcol  before  we  reach  the  Promised  Land. 
There  are  moments  when  we  enter  the  closet  bowed 
down  under  great  burdens  and  meet  the  Lord;  and 
presently  come  forth  with  something  glistening  on 
our  eyelashes  and  something  throbbing  fast  in  our 
veins,  to  tell  of  a  joy  the  world  cannot  give,  a  joy 
which  is  found  only  in  communion  with  God.  These 
are  earnests,  foretastes,  partial  payments  for  our  en- 
couragement along  the  way.  They  are  like  the  chaff 
which  was  thrown  upon  the  Nile,  to  tell  the  starving 
people  by  the  Delta,  that  there  was  plenty  and  to 
spare  in  Joseph's  granaries  higher  up.  They  are  mo- 
mentary joys  given  to  cheer  us  while  we  bear  the  heat 
and  burden  of  the  day. 

But,  as  Bunyan  says,  "The  milk  and  honey  are 
beyond  the  wilderness."  In  the  time  to  come  life 
everlasting!  Here  we  pause.  It  is  not  possible  to 
tell  the  meaning  of  those  words.  "  Eye  hath  not  seen, 
ear  hath  not  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the 


THE   EASY    YOKE.  29 

heart  of  man  to  conceive,  the  things  which  God  hath 
prepared  for  those  that  love  him." 

How  little  will  seem  all  the  cares  and  burdens  and 
cross-bearings  of  this  present  life  when  we  are  yonder. 
In  the  time  of  King  Herod  an  indiscreet  youth  named 
Agrippa  was  fond  of  singing  the  praises  of  his  friend 
Caligula  who  had  a  presumptive  claim  to  the  throne. 
For  this  he  was  cast  into  a  dungeon  and  loaded  with 
chains.  One  day  there  was  a  footfall  in  the  corridor 
and  a  voice  cried,  "  Caligula  reigns!  Long  live  Ca- 
ligula! "  The  door  was  thrown  open  and  Agrippa 
was  led  forth.  Purple  was  exchanged  for  his  rags,  a 
tetrarchy  for  his  narrow  cell;  his  chains  were  weighed 
and  their  weight  in  gold  was  given  him.  O  friends, 
the  crowning  day  is  coming  when  Christ  shall  tri- 
umph over  all.  Then  what  shall  be  the  joy,  the 
satisfaction,  the  honorable  promotion,  of  those  who 
have  followed  and  faithfully  served  him  ? 

Is  there  one  among  you  who  is  cast  down  and  dis- 
couraged ?  Has  the  way  seemed  rough,  the  burden 
heavy  ?  Have  you  been  thwarted,  opposed  and  per- 
haps inclined  to  give  up  ?  Take  heart,  my  friend, 
Per  crucem^  ad  lucem  I  Per  aspera^  ad  astra  /  By  the 
rough  road  to  the  stars!  I  hear  the  songs  of  heaven 
coming  this  way.  I  see  the  light  streaming  through 
the  gates.  The  odors  of  the  King's  garden  flow  to- 
ward us.  O  the  hosannas  and  hallelujahs!  The 
glory  dazzles  like  a  sun-burst.     Life!  Life!  Eternal 

life! 

"  Toil  on;  in  hope  o'ercome 
The  steeps  God  set  for  thee; 
For  past  the  Alpine  summits  of  great  toil 
Lieth  thine  Italy". 


AN   UNFINISHED  LETTER. 

"Having  many  things  to  vrrite  unto  you,  I  would  not  write  with  paper  and 
ink :  but  I  trust  to  come  unto  you  and  speak  face  to  face,  that  our  joy  may 
be  full."— II.  John  12. 

In  the  year  68  the  Emperor  Nero  died  and  the 
world  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  Prison  doors  were 
thrown  open  and  the  sound  of  breaking  chains  was 
heard  throughout  the  Empire.  An  old  man  who  had 
been  for  years  an  exile  on  the  lonely  island  of  Patmos, 
found  his  way  to  Asia  Minor.  It  was  the  Apostle 
John,  the  sole  survivor  of  the  old  guard.  Whither 
should  he  go  ?  He  looked  toward  Capernaum ;  but 
his  home  there  was  desolate,  his  father  Zebedee  was 
dead,  and  James,  his  beloved  brother,  had  been  slain 
by  Herod's  sword.  He  looked  toward  Jerusalem ;  but 
the  clouds  which  were  to  burst  in  the  awful  storm  of 
Titus's  conquest,  were  already  gathering  over  that 
doomed  city.  Whither  should  he  go  ?  He  betook 
himself  to  the  fellowship  of  a  little  company  of  Chris- 
tians in  Ephesus,  who  worshipped  under  the  shadow 
of  the  great  temple  of  Diana,  and  there  he  passed  the 
remainder  of  his  days. 

It  is  believed  that  John  lived  to  be  above  one  hun- 
dred years  of  age.  In  his  decrepitude  he  was  wont 
to  be  carried  to  the  church  in  a  litter;  and  there,  lift- 
ing his  trembling  hands  above  the  congregation,  he 

(30) 


AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER.  3 1 

would  say:  "  Little  children,  love  one  another!  "  In 
his  later  years  he  made  an  itinerary  of  the  churches 
of  Asia.  It  would  appear  that  during  one  of  these 
journeys  he  had  met  the  children  of  a  long-time  friend, 
and  had  found  them  living  an  earnest  Christian  life 
amid  innumerable  temptations.  He  could  not  for- 
bear writing  his  congratulations  to  their  mother,  the 
widow  Kyria.  We  have  this  letter  in  his  Second 
Epistle,  which  is  addressed,    "To  the  Elect  Lady." 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  for  this  old  man  to  write. 
See  him  bending  over  the  parchment.  His  eyes  are 
dim,  his  hands  tremulous.  With  much  labor  he  traces 
the  lines:  "Grace  be  with  you,  mercy  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  Father,  in  truth  and  love."  Then  fol- 
low his  congratulations:  "I  rejoice  greatly  that  I 
have  found  of  thy  children  walking  in  truth."  Then 
an  exhortation  as  to  mutual  love.  Then  an  earnest 
admonition  as  to  false  teachers :  "  For  many  deceivers 
are  entered  into  the  world,  who  confess  not  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh.  Whosoever  abid- 
eth  not  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath  not  God.  If 
there  come  any  unto  you  and  bring  not  this  doctrine, 
receive  him  not  into  your  house,  neither  bid  him  God 
speed."  At  this  point  the  letter  breaks  off  abruptly. 
The  old  eyes  were  too  dim,  the  fingers  too  sti-ff  and 
tremulous.  A  brief  postscript,  and  he  will  have 
done:  "Having  many  things  to  write  unto  you,  I 
would  not  write  with  paper  and  ink:  but  I  trust  to 
come  unto  you,  and  speak  face  to  face,  that  our  joy 
may  be  full." 

How  like  life  itself  is  this  epistolary  fragment !  For 
what  is  life  but  a  short  letter  with  an  eternal  post- 


32  AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER. 

script  ?  It  is  a  dream,  an  eagle  hastening  to  the  prey, 
foam  upon  the  waters,  a  swift  ship,  a  cloud  sweeping 
overhead,  a  tale  that  is  told.  "We  need  no  reed," 
says  Matthew  Henry,  "no  pole,  nor  measuring  line, 
wherewith  to  take  the  dimensions  of  our  days;  nor 
any  skill  in  arithmetic  wherewith  to  compute  the 
number  of  them.  No;  we  have  the  standard  of  them 
at  our  fingers'  ends ;  it  is  but  one  handbreadth  in  all. " 
Is  life  worth  living  then  ?  Not  if  its  sum  total  is 
here  and  now.  If  death  ends  all,  it  were  easy  to  ac- 
count for  the  sixteen  suicides  recently  reported  in 
this  city  in  a  single  day.  Why  should  a  man  endure 
an  insufferable  burden  of  pain  and  trouble  "when  he 
himself  might  his  quietus  make  with  a  bare  bodkin?  " 
The  sooner  it's  over,  the  sooner  to  sleep. 

"  Out,  out,  brief  candle! 
Life's  but  a  walking  shadow." 

But  death  does  not  end  all.  The  brief  period  that 
we  call  life,  is  merely  the  preface  of  an  endless  se- 
rial. Indeed  life  does  not  begin  until  this  period  of 
preparation  is  over.  Death  is  Commencement.  We 
climb  the  steps  of  the  great  temple,  bearing  our  bur- 
den with  us,  until  worn  and  weary  we  reach  the 
threshold;  the  door  flies  open,  and  a  good  angel, 
whom  we  have  strangely  called  the  King  of  Terrors, 
bids  us  enter  and  begin  to  live. 

"Life,  we  have  been  long  together, 
In  pleasant  and  in  stormy  weather  ; 
'Tis  hard  to  part  when  friends  are  dear, 
Perhaps,  'twill  cost  a  sigh,  a  tear. 
Then  steal  away  ;  give  little  warning ; 
Say  not,  '  Good  night,'  but  in  some  brighter  clime 
Give  me,  '  Good  morning' !" 


AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER.  ^^ 

We  drop  the  stylus  from  our  trembling  fingers,  fold 
up  the  parchment,  go  forth  into  the  presence  of  the 
great  verities,  and  see  face  to  face  forever. 

So  is  it  with  all  life's  ambitions.  No  purpose  is 
completed  here.  "All  life's  sweetest  chapters  end  like 
the  fourteenth  of  John,  'Arise,  let  us  go  hence'." 
All  our  purposes  end  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence, 
like  "Edwin  Drood."  It  is  safe  to  say  that  Methuse- 
lah, having  lived  nine  hundred  and  sixty  and  nine 
years,  called  his  sons  about  his  death-bed  and  en- 
joined them  to  complete  what  he  had  left  undone. 
The  Lord  Christ  alone  could  say,  ^'■Tetelestai !''  His 
life  was  rounded  and  complete. 

There  are  many  things,  indeed,  which  cannot  be 
written  with  pen  and  paper.  When  Dr.  John  Elias 
was  asked  to  print  his  sermons,  he  answered,  "Im- 
possible; you  cannot  put  fire  into  cold  type."  Our 
life  here  is — like  letter-writing — a  temporary  expe- 
dient. Its  noblest  thoughts  and  purposes  and  aspira- 
tions await  for  their  full  expression  the  eternity 
when  we  shall  stand  face  to  face  with  truth  and 
God. 

I.  We  find  incompleteiiess  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge. 
To  the  knowledge  of  visible  things  we  apply  the  pre- 
tentious term  Science,  which  is  from  scire,  meaning 
"to  know."  But  how  little  we  really  know  !  "The 
summit  of  wisdom,"  as  Socrates  said,  "is  to  be  aware 
of  our  ignorance."     Or,  as  John  Owen  put  it, 

"  All  things  I  thought  I  knew  ;  but  now  confess, 
The  more  1  know  I  know,  I  know  the  less." 

Here  is  a  pebble.  We  crush  and  analyze  it.  We 
determine  its  component  parts.     We  discover  that  it 


34 


AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER. 


is  formed  of  certain  materials  and  governed  by  cer- 
tain forces  acting  according  to  fixed  laws.  But  more 
than  this  we  cannot  write  with  pen  and  paper.  There 
is  more  beyond,  but  the  curtain  falls  on  our  bewil- 
derment.    And  this  is  the  Science  of  Geology. 

Here  is  a  blade  of  grass.  I  tear  it  apart,  dissect 
and  analyze.  The  color  scheme  and  the  pattern  of 
the  fabric  are  plain  to  see.  But  in  my  scrutiny  I 
have  come  upon  a  strange  thing  which  is  called  Life; 
and  I  can  write  no  more;  the  curtain  falls.  And  this 
is  the  Science  of  Biology. 

I  gaze  upon  the  stars.  "Look  how  the  floor  of 
heaven  is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold." 
Here  are  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  and  thou- 
sands of  thousands;  and,  as  I  gaze,  still  more  come 
wheeling  into  place  like  ships  to  join  an  infinite 
armada.  I  turn  upon  them  my  scientific  implements, 
make  a  spectral  analysis,  and  measure  the  distance 
from  planet  to  planet.  Then  my  gaze  wanders  to 
the  interstellar  spaces,  and  I  query,  "What  lies  be- 
yond ? "  But  there  is  no  answer,  nor  any  that  re- 
gardeth.  My  essay  is  broken  in  twain.  And  this  is 
the  Science  of  Astronomy. 

I  am  standing  at  the  manger  and  gazing  into  the 
face  of  the  Child.  I  hear  voices  saying,  "Here  is 
God  wrapped  in  swaddling  bands,"  and,  "  Here  God- 
hood  and  manhood  are  woven  warp  and  woof  into 
one  Fabric. "  But  what  shall  I  write  ?  ' '  Great  is  the 
mystery  of  Godliness,  God  manifest  in  flesh;  angels 
desire  to  look  into  it!  "  No  more.  Again  the  curtain 
falls.     And  this  is  the  Science  of  Theology. 

But  is  this  all  ?  Is  knowledge  then  the  touching  of 
merely  the  outermost  fringe  of  truth  ?     Then  were 


THE     EASY    YOKE.  35 

Agnosticism  the  logical  conclusion.  But  this  is  base 
and  sordid  and  unworthy  of  us.  As  if  we  were  to 
say,  "  I  have  caught  a  glimpse,  and,  lo!  it  was  delu- 
sion." Nay;  blessed  be  God,  where  eyesight  fails, 
faith  begins.  "We  know  in  part,  but  we  shall  know 
even  as  we  are  known."  What  is  faith?  "The  sub- 
stance of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen."  Our  natural  faculties  cannot  reach  be- 
yond the  circumscription  of  our  finger  tips,  but  faith 
reaches  out  into  the  infinite.  "  Now  we  see  through 
a  glass  darkly,  but  then  face  to  face."  The  fragment 
of  our  knowledge  ends  thus:  "To  be  continued  in 
our  next." 

By  faith  we  solve  the  mystery  of  the  pebble,  and 
behind  the  law  catch  sight  of  the  Law-giver.  By 
faith  w^e  lift  the  curtain  that  falls  at  the  announce- 
ment of  life,  and  stand  face  to  face  with  the  Life- 
Giver.  By  faith  we  gaze  through  the  interstellar 
spaces  and  behold  One  seated  on  a  throne,  high  and 
lifted  up.  By  faith  we  hear  from  the  lips  of  the 
Christ-child  the  message  of  the  gospel,  "God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life."  The  best  that  scientists 
can  do,  is  to  write  the  unfinished  letter;  it  is  for  faith 
to  complete  it. 

II.  We  observe  a  similar  incompleteness  in  our  efforts  at 
character-building.  The  most  discouraging  thing  in 
the  world  is  to  try  to  be  somebody,  to  come  up  to  the 
full  stature  of  a  man  as  made  in  the  likeness  of  God. 
We  have  ethical  rules,  noble  aspirations,  and  a  splen- 
did Ideal.  The  elements  of  worth  and  true  greatness 
are  in  every  man.     We  have  a  conscience  that  deter- 


^6  AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER. 

mines  betwixt  the  worse  and  better  reason.  We  look 
into  the  face  of  the  perfect  One  and  long  to  be  like 
him.  But  we  are  continually  thwarted  and  disap- 
pointed. Sin  strengthened  by  habit  has  an  almost 
irresistible  grip  upon  us.  Heredity  is  against  us; 
our  forebears  are  dragging  us  down.  Environment 
also  is  against  us.  So,  alas!  there  is  no  difference; 
we  all  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,  and  of  the 
glory  of  manhood  as  God  has  revealed  it. 

If  there  is  any  who  questions  the  truth  of  this  gen- 
eralization and  is  moved  to  say,  "  I,  for  one,  am  not 
so  characterless  as  you  would  make  me  out,"  see  how 
small  a  thing  will  put  him  down.  If  God  were  to 
come  and  say  to  you, — "  Friend,  I  am  disposed  to  be 
as  lenient  as  possible  in  your  case.  I  will  not  judge 
you  by  the  sum  total  of  your  life ;  but  tell  me  a  single 
deed  you  have  done  which  is  so  absolutely  free  from 
all  taint  of  sinful  motive  or  selfishness  that  you 
would  be  willing  to  adventure  your  eternal  destiny 
upon  it,  and  that  shall  be  your  criterion  at  the  great 
day";  where  would  you  lay  your  hand  upon  it  ? 

But  none  who  has  caught  the  high  spirit  of  Christ- 
ianity will,  for  a  moment,  hesitate  to  admit  his  own 
unworthiness.  The  world  criticises  Christians;  and 
there  is  abundant  ground  for  it.  No  one  knows  bet- 
ter than  ourselves  the  vast  gulf  between  our  charac- 
ter and  our  Ideal.  We  are  our  own  severest  critics. 
The  good  we  would,  we  do  not,  and  the  evil  we 
would  not,  that  we  do. 

Was  there  ever  a  more  earnest  striver  than  the 
Apostle  Paul?  Yet  how  incomplete  was  his  endeavor! 
Hear  his  confession:  "Brethren,  I  count  not  myself 
to   have  apprehended,  as  though  I  had    already  at- 


AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER.  37 

tained,  or  were  already  perfect."  The  perfectionist 
is  a  mere  masker,  deceiving  nobody,  not  even  him- 
self, least  of  all  his  God. 

But  shall  we  end  the  record  here  ?  Is  there  no 
postscript  ?  Is  there  nothing  to  look  forward  to  ? 
The  past  is  indeed  not  without  its  encouragement; 
for,  despite  the  fact  that  the  motions  of  sin  are  still  in 
us,  we  must  have  grown  by  very  virtue  of  our  life. 
"  I  am  not  what  I  ought  to  be,  I  am  not  what  I  mean 
to  be;  but  by  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am." 
An  eternity  is  before  us.  Sin  loses  its  grip  in  the 
article  of  death.  The  chains  shall  be  broken,  and 
we  shall  rejoice  in  an  infinite  freedom  of  spiritual 
growth.  ''Now  are  we  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth 
not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be ;  but  when  he  shall 
appear,  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as 
he  is." 

III.  A?id  there  is  a  like  incompletetiess  in  our  work.  We 
set  out  to  accomplish  great  things  for  God.  We 
dream  dreams  and  see  visions,  and  they  dissolve 
about  us  like  castles  in  the  air.  We  are  cut  off  in  the 
midst  of  our  days,  and  the  story  ends  with  "  Finis." 
But  is  this,  again,  the  end  ?  I  do  not  think  so  little 
of  life,  and  I  have  not  so  poor  an  opinion  of  the  God 
who  made  it.  There  is  something  beyond.  The 
loose  threads  of  the  unfinished  fabric  will  be  gath- 
ered up;  the  preparation  of  these  years  will  all  be 
utilized  in  the  endless  aeons. 

An  English  lad  was  moved  by  a  noble  ambition ; 
he  would  prepare  himself  to  do  some  great  thing  for 
God.  He  plodded  through  his  text  books,  finished 
his  theological  course,  and  settled  in  his  first  parish 
at  Anworth.      The-re  he  declared   the   unsearchable 


^S  AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER. 

riches  of  Christ  with  flaming  lips.  He  looked  for  a 
harvest  of  souls,  but  it  came  not.  He  agonized  in 
prayer,  and  still  it  came  not.  He  wrote  just  before 
he  died, — 

"  O!  if  one  soul  from  Anworth 
Meet  me  at  God's  right  hand, 
My  heaven  will  be  two  heavens 
In  Immanuel's  land." 

So  ended  his  life.  The  pen  fell  from  his  trembling 
fingers;  but  shall  the  biography  of  Rutherford  end 
there?  "One  soul  "  did  he  long  for  ?  The  harvest 
that  he  never  saw,  has  grown  luxuriant  upon  his 
grave.  Thousands  on  thousands  of  souls  rise  up  to 
call  him  blessed.  From  the  high  heaven,  where  he 
sees  face  to  face  and  knows  even  as  he  is  known, 
Rutherford  sees  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  is 
satisfied. 

The  two  most  indispensable  men  of  the  Old  Econ- 
omy, as  it  would  appear,  were  Moses  and  Elias.  The 
former  led  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  their  bondage 
through  the  wilderness  to  the  border  of  the  promised 
land.  And  just  there,  when  it  seemed  as  if  himself 
alone  could  lead  them  in,  he  was  called  up  into  the 
mountain  where  he  sang  his  death  song: 

"(9  Lord,  we  spend,  our  years  as  a  tale  that  is  told.  The 
days  of  our  years  are  threescore  years  a?id  ten  j  and  if  by 
reason  of  strength  they  be  fourscore  years,  yet  is  their 
strejigth  labor  and  sorrow:  for  it  is  soon  cut  off,  and  we  fly 
away.  Let  thy  work  appear  ufito  thy  serva?its  and  thy  glory 
itnto  their  childroi.  And  let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our 
God  be  upon  us  :  and  establish  thou  the  work  of  our  hands 
upon  us:  yea,  the  work  of  our  hands  establish  thou  it.'' 

And  Elias  the  great  reformer  wrought  for  the  de- 


AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER.  39 

liverance  of  Israel  in  a  time  of  great  spiritual  need. 
He  had  brought  the  nation  to  the  very  verge  of  pure 
religion,  when  God  sent  the  chariot  of  fire.  As  he 
went  upward,  the  voice  of  lamentation  was  heard: 
"O  my  father,  the  horses  of  Israel  and  the  chariots 
thereof!  ''  Thus  the  work  of  these  two  mighty  men 
seemed  to  be  broken  in  the  midst  and  to  have  reached 
an  utter  end. 

But  when  a  thousand  years  have  passed,  lo,  here 
are  Moses  and  Elias  on  the  mount  of  transfiguration, 
and  they  speak  with  Jesus  of  the  decease  which  he 
shall  accomplish  at  Jerusalem !  The  continuity  of 
their  lives  was  not  broken  at  all.  In  the  interim  they 
had  kept  abreast  of  the  history  of  God's  people  and 
were  in  full  sympathy  with  its  magnificent  denoue- 
ment in  the  work  of  redemption.  Thus  in  the  fulness 
of  time  God  did  establish  the  work  of  their  hands 
upon  them. 

What,  now,  are  the  practical  lessons  of  our  theme  ? 
First,  do  not  forget  or  omit  the  postscript.  He  is  a 
foolish  man  who  leaves  eternity  out  of  the  reckon- 
ing. It  is  the  thought  of  eternity  that  makes  life 
worth  living.  It  is  otherwise  a  thing  of  mere  threads 
and  thrums.  It  needs  the  infinite  outlook  to  com- 
plete it.  The  world  has  known  no  greater  artist  than 
Raphael.  What  Madonnas  he  painted!  what  faces 
of  Christ!  And  he  died  at  thirty-seven.  Has  he 
ceased  to  paint,  think  you  ? 

"When  earth's  last  picture  is  painted, 
And  the  tubes  are  twisted  and  dried  ; 

When  the  oldest  colors  have  faded, 
And  the  youngest  critics  have  died  ; 

We  shall  rest, — and  O  !  we  shall  need  it, — 


40  AN    UNFINISHED    LETTER. 

Lie  down  for  a  moment  or  two,* 
Till  the  Master  of  all  good  workmen 
Shall  set  us  to  work  anew. 

"And  those  that  were  good,  shall  be  happy; 

They  shall  sit  in  a  golden  chair  ; 
They  shall  splash  at  a  ten-league  canvas 

With  brushes  of  comet's  hair. 
They  shall  have  real  saints  to  draw  from, 

Magdalene,  Peter  and  Paul, 
They  shall  work  for  an  age  at  a  sitting, 

And  never  be  tired  at  all. 
"And  only  the  Master  shall  praise  us. 

And  only  the  Master  shall  blame; 
And  no  one  shall  work  for  money, 

And  no  one  shall  work  for  fame; 
But  each  for  the  joy  of  working, 

And  each  in  his  separate  star, 
Shall  draw  the  thing  as  he  sees  it 

For  the  God  of  things  as  they  are." 

And  finally,  live  to-day.  We  must  make  our  be- 
ginning here.  As  the  tree  falleth,  so  also  shall  it  lie. 
Let  us  not  waste  our  years  in  pursuits  which  would 
be  out  of  place  in  the  eternal  life.  Let  us  cease 
chasing  thistle-down  and  playing  with  yellow  dust; 
these  are  not  worthy  of  immortal  men.  The  present 
life  is  momentous,  because,  and  only  because,  it  looks 
on  toward  eternity.  We  must  walk  while  it  is  day, 
for  the  night  cometh.  Ab  hoc  momento pendet  cete7'nitas  ! 
Our  seventy  years  here  and  now  are  more  important 
than  seventy  cycles  cut  out  of  eternity,  because  the 
making  of  all  eternity  is  in  them.  Write  your  brief 
letter  well,  my  friend;  but  always  remember  that 
there  are  things  which  cannot  be  written  with  ink  and 
paper.     Live  to-day,  if  you  would  live  forever. 

*  A  liberty  is  here  taken  with  Mr.  Kipling's  theology.  He  writes  "  for  an 
aeon  or  two  "  ;  but  we  shall  not  lie  down  for  an  seon  or  anything  like  it.  The 
question  of  soul-sleeping  was  settled  definitely  and  finally  when  Jesus  said: 
"  To-day  shalt  thou  be  witli  me  in  Paradise." 


THE  STEPS  TO  THE  IVORY  THRONE. 


"  And  there  were  six  steps  to  the  throne  with  a  footstool  of  gold." 

II.  Chron.  9, 


The  glory  of  Jewish  history  found  its  consumma- 
tion in  the  reign  of  Solomon.  The  magnificence  of 
his  establishment  centered  in  the  House  of  the  Forest 
of  Lebanon,  and  the  tower  before  it,  on  which  were 
suspended  a  thousand  golden  shields  like  the  necklace 
of  coins  adorning  an  oriental  bride.  The  brightest 
point  of  splendor  in  this  palace  was  the  throne.  It 
was  of  ivory  overlaid  with  gold,  and  on  either  side 
were  six  golden  lions,  symbols  of  sovereign  power. 
It  was  a  great  day  in  Israel  when  Solomon  ascended 
the  six  steps  from  the  golden  footstool  and  took  his 
place  on  that  magnificent  throne.  No  fabled  grandeur 
of  the  kings  of  Samarcand  was  comparable  with  this. 
It  found  expression  in  the  proverb,  "Solomon  in  all 
his  glory." 

The  rabbis  in  their  traditions  loved  to  dwell  on  the 
transcendent  beauty  of  this  ivory  throne.  The  Arab- 
ian legends  are  mellifluous  in  praise  of  it.  The  sac- 
red historian  himself  is  moved  to  say,  "There  was 
not  the  like  made  in  any  kingdom."  Nevertheless  as 
Solomon  was  a  living  type  of  One  to  come,  whose 
perfections  should  surpass  his  as  the  sun  outshines  a 

(41) 


42  THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE. 

glowworm,  so  the  ivory  throne  is  a  mere  suggestion 
of  one  that  borrows  an  unspeakable  glory  from  the 
Christ  who  sits  upon  it,  to  wit.  The  Throne  of  True 
Manhood.  The  place  of  highest  exaltation  is  by  the 
side  of  Jesus  in  the  estate  of  regenerated  and  sancti- 
fied character.  To  be  a  true  man,  loyal  to  truth, 
reverent  toward  duty,  high-spirited  and  magnan- 
imous, with  "noble  thoughts  seated  in  a  soul  of 
honor,"  moved  by  great  purposes  and  free  from  the 
corrupting  power  of  sin — this  is  to  be  greater  than 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory,  this  is  indeed  to  sit  on  an 
Ivory  Throne  as  younger  brother  of  the  Ideal  Man. 
I.  As  yet,  however,  under  the  dominion  of  sin,  we 
stand  but  at  The  Golden  Footstool.  Here  is  the  dignity 
of  our  fallen  manhood;  we  are  created  in  the  image 
and  after  the  likeness  of  God.  In  every  element  of 
our  tripartite  being  we  bear  the  tokens  of  our  noble 
birth.  Our  body  stands  erect  in  an  imperial  attitude 
with  face  toward  the  skies;  our  minds  can  grasp  the 
solemn  truths  of  nature  and  the  endless  life;  our 
spirits  can  think  our  Father's  thoughts  and  bow  the 
knee  in  worship  before  him.  We  have  thus  all  the 
essential  qualities  of  kingship  except  the  crown. 
Something  has  happened.  The  blood  royal  surges 
through  our  veins,  but  the  king's  purple  is  stripped 
off.  The  crown  prince  stands  at  the  Golden  Foot- 
stool, clothed  in  unseemly  rags,  with  an  impotent 
reed  in  his  hands. 

So  fallen,  so  lost ! 

The  light  withdrawn  which  once  he  wore  ! 

Of  all  the  rare  endowment,  naught 

Save  power  remains, 
A  fallen  angel's  pride  of  thought, 

Still  strong  in  chains. 


THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE.  43 

Of  his  lost  heritage  he  has  nothing  left  but  memory 
and  hope.  He  has  within  him,  even  at  his  v;orst,  a 
reminiscence  of  something  lost;  the  fluttering  of  help- 
less wings  which  Plato  thought  to  be  memorial  of  a 
pre-existent  state.  And  his  eyes  are  uplifted  to  the 
Ivory  Throne.  He  knows  that  there  are  great  possi- 
bilities within  him.  He  hopes  to  regain  his  manhood. 
In  his  best  moments  he  cries  with  Augustine,  "  Lord, 
thou  hast  created  us  for  thyself,  therefore  our  heart 
is  restless  within  us,  until  it  find  its  rest  in  thee." 

II.  And  the  way  is  provided  for  his  restoration. 
There  are  Six  Steps  leading  fro7n  this  Golden  Footstool  to 
the  Ivory  Throne. 

(i)  We  must  begin  with  an  acknowledgment  of  sin.  It 
would  be  superserviceable  for  me  to  say  to  any  man 
that  he  has  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of 
God,  for  all  are  conscious  of  it.  There  is  not  a  pulse- 
beat,  not  a  twinge  of  the  nerves,  not  a  mental  process, 
which  does  not  cry  "  Amen  "  to  the  words,  "Thou 
art  a  sinner."  We  know  and  feel  it.  We  cannot 
ignore  or  disguise  it.  It  needs  no  Bible  or  preacher 
to  declare  it. 

But  there  is  a  misapprehension  here.  W"e  need  a 
definition.  What  is  sin  ?  It  is  the  fashion  in  many 
quarters  to  regard  it  as  an  unfortunate  disease,  for 
w^hich  we  are  to  be  rather  pitied  than  blamed.  A 
thief  summoned  before  a  criminal  court  is  defended 
as  a  victim  of  kleptomania.  An  inebriate  who  has 
wittingly  taken  an  enemy  into  his  mouth  to  steal 
away  his  brains  and  forged  upon  himself  the  chains 
of  habit,  is  defended  on  the  plea  of  dipsomania.  By 
the  same  token,  if  David  were  arraigned  before  one 
of  our  courts  in  the  matter  of  Bathsheba,  he  would 


44  THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE. 

be  called  an  erotomaniac;  helpless,  pitiable  and  in- 
culpable, because  the  fever  of  illicit  passion  had  taken 
possession  of  him.  Not  so,  however,  did  he  regard 
himself;  for  when  conscience  awoke,  he  staggered  up 
to  his  chamber  on  the  housetop,  threw  himself  upon 
his  knees  in  an  agony  of  penitence,  and  acknowl- 
edged his  personal  responsibility  in  the  cry,  ''O 
God,  against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and  done 
this  evil  in  thy  sight."  Here  then  is  the  definition  of 
sin:  it  is  any  want  of  conformity  unto,  or  transgres- 
sion of,  God's  holy  law. 

Have  you,  my  friend,  formed  such  a  conception  of 
sin  ?  Does  it  stand  forth  in  your  conscience  as  an  act 
or  habit  of  rebellion  against  the  divine  authority  ?  If 
not,  you  have  not  begun  to  tread  the  stairway  leading 
to  the  restoration  of  manhood  and  the  favor  of  God. 

(2)  The  next  step  upward  is  in  an  acknowledgement  of 
death  ;  that  is,  of  the  consequence  of  sin.  For  death 
follows  sin  as  effect  follows  cause. 

But  what  is  the  death  that  follows  sin  }  It  is  the 
antithesis  of  life:  "This  is  life  eternal,  to  know 
God."  It  is  life  to  be  in  harmony  with  God's  pur- 
poses, to  be  ever  in  filial  relation  and  communion 
with  him.  And  death  is  to  be  out  of  harmony  with 
his  purposes  and  to  be  exiled  from  him.  This  means 
an  eternal  dethronement;  never  to  realize  the  possi- 
bilities of  our  nature;  never  to  attain  unto  manhood 
which  in  its  verity  is  peace  with  God.  Exile  from 
God !  All  hell,  the  gnawing  worm,  the  unquenchable 
fire,  is  in  the  words,  "  Depart  from  me!" 

Let  it  not  be  thought,  however,  that  death  is  by 
an  arbitrary  edict;  it  is  the  inevitable  result  of  the 
laws  inherent  in  our  nature.     We  are  under  the  law 


THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE.  45 

of  holiness,  because  we  are  made  in  the  likeness  of 
God.  If  a  planet  flies  from  its  orbit,  what  shall  save 
it  from  the  wreck  of  matter  and  the  crash  of  worlds? 
If  a  man  transgress  the  law  of  his  being,  he  fixes  his 
destiny  in  alienation  from  God.  His  word,  "The 
soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die,"  is  not  an  edict,  but 
the  statement  of  a  fact  which  is  interwoven  with  our 
being;  that  is,  "Sin,  when  it  is  finished,  bringeth 
forth  death."  His  "  Depart!  "  is  but  a  forensic  an- 
nouncement of  the  just  sentence  of  law. 

Have  you,  my  friend,  formed  this  conception  of  sin  ? 
Do  you  realize  that  without  holiness  no  man  shall 
see  God?  Have  you  read  clearly  over  the  gateway 
of  the  celestial  city,  "There  shall  in  no  wise  enter 
here  anything  that  worketh  abomination  or  maketh 
a  lie  ?  " 

(3)  And  then  it  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  impotency.  As  long  as  a  man  thinks  he 
can  get  himself  out  of  this  difficulty  by  main  force, 
there  is  no  hope  for  him.  How  shall  he  save  himself 
from  the  record  of  the  past?  By  penance  ?  Nay; 
reason  revolts  at  the  thought  of  lashing  one's  body 
for  the  sins  of  his  soul.  By  morality  ?  It  is  more 
than  we  can  do  to  keep  up  with  our  current  liabilities. 
You  cannot  save  your  property  from  going  under  the 
hammer  for  delinquent  taxes  by  paying  the  taxes  for 
1897.  By  reformation?  Hell  is  paved  with  good 
resolutions.  He  who  is  satisfied  to  turn  over  a  new 
leaf,  is  sure  to  find  that  the  new  leaf  is  much  like  the 
one  before  it.  Do  your  best;  yet  the  past  unexpiated 
still  confronts  you. 

The  man  who  endeavors  to  save  himself,  is  like  a 
falcon  brought  from  its  nest  in  the  fastnesses  of  the 


4^  THE   STEPS    TO    THE   IVORY    THRONE. 

hills;  hooded,  blindfold,  and  bound  with  a  golden 
chain  to  the  huntsman's  hand.  It  can  seek  no  quarry 
except  at  its  master's  will.  It  has  wings,  and  eyes 
to  gaze  undazzled  at  the  sun;  but  when  it  ventures 
forth,  its  flight  is  ever  arrested  by  the  golden  leash. 

"  Rise,  my  gouI,  and  stretch  thy  wings, 
Thy  better  portion  trace." 

Alas!  we  cannot,  for  we  are  held  back  by  the  leash. 
There  is  a  "war  in  our  members,"  so  that  "the 
good  we  would,  we  do  not,  and  the  evil  we  would 
not,  that  we  do." 

Have  you  discovered  your  inability  ?  Are  you 
weary  of  vain  efforts  at  reformation  ?  Are  you 
moved  to  confess,  "I  cannot!"  Then  you  are  half 
way  up. 

(4)  And  now  to  prayer.  The  next  step  brings  us  to 
our  knees.  We  look  unto  the  hills  from  whence 
Cometh  our  help.  Why  is  it  that  a  man,  however 
impious,  cries,  "My  God!  "or,  "God  have  mercy!" 
in  moments  of  critical  danger?  It  is  because  in  our 
deepest  souls  we  know  that  in  the  last  emergency 
there  is  no  hope  except  from  God. 

It  is  a  false  pride  in  self-reliance  that  will  not  let 
us  bow  the  pregnant  hinges  of  the  knee.  It  was  a 
sinner  sinking  in  the  quicksands  of  his  guilt  and 
calling  on  God  for  mercy,  who  sang  the  grateful 
song,  "This  poor  man  cried  and  the  Lord  heard 
and  saved  him  out  of  all  his  troubles.  The  Lord  is 
nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken  hearty  and  saveth 
such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit.  O  taste  and  see  that 
the  Lord  is  good :  blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in 
him." 


THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE.  47 

Have  you,  my  friend,  taken  your  place  by  the  side 
of  the  publican  ?  Have  you  put  away  all  self-righte- 
ousness, and,  beating  upon  your  breast,  made  this  ap- 
peal, "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  "  ?  If  so,  help 
is  near;  you  are  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God. 

(5)  The  next  step  is  acquiescence.  For  God  has  a 
plan  of  salvation  all  his  own.  You  must  put  away 
all  prejudgments  and  let  him  have  his  way  with  you. 
It  is  not  for  a  penitent  sinner  to  say  how  God  shall 
deliver  him.  You  may  imagine  it  is  easy  for  God, 
now  that  you  have  made  your  prayer,  to  reach  down 
his  omnipotent  arm,  and  without  further  ceremony 
lift  you  up;  but  that  cannot  be.  It  is  impossible,  by 
the  laws  of  the  Divine  Being,  that  he  should  ignore 
your  sin.  He  cannot  restore  you  to  his  favor  with 
your  sins  unexpiated  and  your  iniquities  still  upon 
you.  His  truth  forbids,  his  justice  forbids,  his  holi- 
ness forbids. 

A  man  in  prison,  worn  with  the  burden  of  his 
chains  and  weary  of  the  darkness,  hears  the  foot- 
fall of  the  jailer  and  the  clang  of  his  keys;  he  cries, 
''O  let  me  out!  It  is  so  easy  a  matter  for  you  to 
turn  the  key;  throw  open  this  door  and  release  me 
from  these  dreadful  walls!  "  But  the  jailer  answers, 
"I  could  not  if  I  would,  for  there  is  a  power  be- 
hind this  key,  and  an  edict  vaster  than  these  walls, 
that  forbids.  Were  I  to  release  you,  the  law  would 
still  pursue  you  with  a  whip  of  scorpions,  and  justice, 
like  the  furies,  would  be  on  your  track."  In  like 
manner  I  say.  If  God  were  to  take  you  with  your  sins 
unshriven  into  his  kingdom,  the  law  unexpiated  would 
confront  you  there  and  make  a  hell  of  heaven. 

But  God  has  an  effective  plan  for  3^our  deliverance. 


48  THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE. 

It  is  revealed  in  these  words,  "  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life."  He  so  loved  the  world  and  you — not  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  save  you  in  disregard  of  truth 
and  justice  and  holiness,  for  that  were  impossible — 
but  so  as  to  expiate  your  sins,  fulfill  the  law,  and 
satisfy  justice  in  the  vicarious  death  of  his  only- 
begotten  and  well  beloved  Son.  Thus  it  is  written, 
'*  Mercy  and  truth  are  met  together;  righteousness 
and  peace  have  kissed  each  other."  And  thus  the 
problem  is  solved,  ''  How  can  God  be  just  and  also  the 
justifier  of  the  ungodly?  "  And  the  great  question  is 
answered,  ''How  can  a  man  be  just  with  God?" 

Do  you  acquiesce  in  this  plan?  Are  you  willing  to 
be  saved  in  this  way?  Then  are  you  within  a  single 
step  of  the  Ivory  Throne. 

(6)  The  last  step  is  faith.  For  passive  acquiescence 
is  not  enough.  Here  is  a  hand  reached  down,  a  hand 
with  nail-prints  in  it.  The  ever-glorious  Son  of  the 
Father,  who  is  Elder  Brother  of  us  all,  is  thus  eager 
to  lift  us  up.  Get  hold  of  taat  hand,  as  you  care  for 
life,  for  your  eternal  destiny  depends  upon  it! 

No  man  will  deny  that  the  God  who  in  his  infinite 
wisdom  has  devised  this  plan  of  salvation,  who  has 
provided  for  our  deliverance  at  so  great  cost  and 
offered  all  without  money  and  without  price,  had  the 
right  to  affix  a  condition  upon  it.  The  sole  condi- 
tion is  an  appropriating  faith.  All  that  God  asks,  is 
that  we  shall  be  willing  to  receive  his  unspeakable  gift 
and  that  we  shall  stretch  forth  our  hand  to  grasp  it. 

III.  Thus  have  we  climbed  the  steps  to  the  Ivory  Throne. 
It  is  the  throne  of  manhood, — restored  manhood  in 


THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE.  49 

Christ.  It  is  not  the  throne  of  divine  sovereignty. 
When  Salome  asked  of  Jesus  in  behalf  of  her  two 
sons  that  one  of  them  should  sit  on  his  right  hand 
and  the  other  on  his  left  in  his  kingdom,  he  answered, 
**  It  is  not  mine  to  give."  But  it  is  his  to  give  a  place 
to  every  one  of  his  followers  beside  him  on  the  throne 
which  he  occupies  as  the  glorified  Son  of  Man.  Here 
we  become  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  attain  unto 
the  fulness  of  his  stature,  participate  with  him  as 
joint  heirs  of  the  great  inheritance  and  dwell  in  close 
and  eternal  relationship  with  him.  Here  we  shall 
reach  ultimately  the  summit  of  the  possibilities  of 
human  character  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise, 
*'Now  are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet 
appear  what  we  shall  be;  but  we  know  that  when  he 
shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see 
him  as  he  is." 

The  glory  thus  promised  is  for  all  who  are  willing 
to  climb  to  it.  The  Christians  of  Laodicea  were 
urged  to  aspire  after  it  in  these  words,  "  To  him  that 
overcometh,  will  I  give  to  sit  together  with  me  in  my 
throne."  He  is  the  great  Overcomer,  who  for  the 
joy  that  was  set  before  him  endured  the  cross,  des- 
pising the  shame.  As  his  disciples  who  overcome  in 
his  strength,  we  share  in  his  glory — the  glory  of  a 
victorious  and  resplendent  manhood — and  occupy  the 
throne  with  him. 

I  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  and  noblest  in  human 
nature ;  to  the  dreams  and  ambitions  and  aspirations 
that  beckon  us  away  from  sin  to  eternal  life.  Let 
us  realize  the  possibilities  of  our  nature;  we  are  in 
constant  danger  of  allowing  them  to  go  by  default 
through    our    folly    and    thoughtlessness.       Sursum 


50  THE    STEPS    TO    THE    IVORY    THRONE. 

corda  !  Up  with  thy  heart,  O  son  of  the  living  God. 
Thou  wast  made  to  live  forever.  Reject  not  the  prof- 
fer of  life.  "He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own 
received  him  not;  but" — hearken  to  this  gracious 
word — "  to  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God." 


SELAH. 

The  Jews  were  a  musical  people.  In  their  temple 
at  Jerusalem  there  was  a  choir  of  four  thousand 
trained  voices.  The  central  division  of  this  choir  was 
led  by  Heman,  the  right  by  Asaph  and  the  left  by 
Jeduthun.  These  bands  of  singers  led  the  service 
antiphonally  from  the  great  galleries,  and  the  con- 
gregation made  response  like  the  sound  of  many 
waters.  And  this  choir  was  supported  by  a  vast  or- 
chestra of  one  hundred  and  twenty  trumpets,  with 
harps  and  psalteries  and  cymbals.  It  is  hardly  pos- 
sible for  us  at  this  distance  to  realize  the  tremendous 
impressiveness  of  a  devotional  service  conducted  in 
this  manner,  on  the  occasion  of  the  great  annual 
festivals,  when,  literally,  millions  of  people  came  up 
to  Jerusalem  to  participate  in  the  worship  of  God. 

The  Hymn-book  used  on  such  occasions  was  the 
Psalter.  It  is  in  five  parts,  compiled  at  different  pe- 
riods and  bound  together  probably  in  Ezra's  time. 
It  contains  a  hundred  and  fifty  sacred  songs.  Some 
of  them  are  arranged  in  groups;  as  the  Songs  of  De- 
grees, which  were  used  by  pilgrims  journeying  to 
the  feasts;  the  Hallelujah  Psalms,  beginning  with 
"Praise  ye  the  Lord";  the  Alphabetic  Psalms,  ar- 
ranged in  the  order  of  the  alphabet,  that  the  children 

(51) 


52  SELAH. 

might  the  more  easily  commit  them  to  memory.  We 
learn  from  certain  prefatory  words  that  one-third 
of  the  entire  collection  was  dedicated  "To  the  chief 
musician";  the  term  "  Nehiloth  "  means  that  the  song 
was  to  be  accompanied  v/ith  wind  instruments,  and 
*'  Neginoth  "  by  stringed  instruments.  "  Higgaion  " 
directs  that  it  should  be  sung  as  a  recitative;  "Ala- 
moth  "  by  treble  voices ;  ' '  Sheminith  "  as  a  bass  solo ; 
*•  Mahalath  "  denotes  a  soft  accompaniment  upon  the 
lute;  and  "  Ma'aloth, "  in  the  Psalms  of  Degrees, 
directs  that  they  should  be  sung  as  the  procession 
mounted  the  temple  steps.  The  titles  of  some  of  the 
favorite  Psalms  are  also  significant;  as  "The  Golden 
Song";  "The  Hind  of  the  Mountain";  "The  Lilies," 
and  "  The  Dove  Silent  among  Strangers."  We  are 
thus  led  to  believe  that  the  Psalter  occupied  a  large 
and  wealthy  place  in  the  Jewish  heart. 

In  this  Hymn-book  we  frequently  come  upon  the 
word,  "Selah. "  It  occurs  seventy-one  times  in  the 
Psalms  and  thrice  in  the  prophecy  of  Habakkuk. 
There  is  a  wide  difference  of  opinion  as  to  its  precise 
significance;  but  authorities  are  generally  agreed 
that  it  was  a  musical  term.  In  the  Septuagint  it  is 
regarded  as  giving  the  key-note.  The  weight  of 
scholarly  opinion  marks  it  as  an  intimation  to  the 
orchestra;  a  call  for  the  blast  of  trumpets  and  the 
response  of  the  stringed  instruments,  as  if  to  say, 
"  Here  let  all  unite  in  making  a  joyful  noise  unto  the 
Lord!" 

Is  there  a  lesson  in  "  Selah  "  for  us  ?  It  is  written, 
"All  Scripture  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness."  We 
may  believe,  therefore,  that  this  oft-recurring  word 


SELAH.  53 

is  not  without  significance.      Here  is  its  meaning  for 
us : — Set  your  life  to  music  I 

We  are  too  dull,  cold,  stupid  in  our  devotion.  We 
are  too  numb,  formal  and  passionless.  Let  us  draw 
near  to  the  altar  with  an  outburst  of  melody. 

"  Dear  Lord,  and  shall  we  ever  live 
At  this  poor  dying  rate  ; 
Our  love  so  faint,  so  cold,  to  thee, 
And  thine  to  us  so  great?'' 

*'Aye,  it  is  easy  enough  to  say, '  Up  with  your  heart 
and  your  voices;  let  the  trumpets  blare  and  the  harps 
make  a  joyous  sound!'  But  circumstances  alter 
cases.  Some  of  us  are  too  busy  with  matters  of 
serious  moment,  and  others  liave  all  the  music  crushed 
out  of  them  by  the  burdens  of  life."  But  an  exami- 
nation of  the  Selahs  shows  that  they  cover  all  possible 
experiences.  Pain  and  pleasure,  midday  and  mid- 
night, doubt  and  sorrow  and  the  death  shadow,  all 
give  place  to  the  orchestral  melody.  The  religion  of 
the  Bible  is,  under  all  circumstances,  the  religion  of 
praise. 

The  time  for  harp  and  psaltery  to  be  silent,  if  ever, 
is  in  the  dark  experience  of  conviction  of  sin.  But  hear 
what  the  psalmist  says,  ''  My  bones  wax  old  through 
my  roaring  all  the  day  long;  thy  hand  was  heavy  up- 
on me.  Selah!"  Why?  He  proceeds,  "I  acknowl- 
edged my  sin  and  thou  forgavest  it.  Selah!"  And 
again,  "Thou  art  my  hiding  place  ;  thou  shalt  com- 
pass me  about  with  songs  of  deliverance.     Selah  !  " 

The  night  of  contrition  is  illuminated  by  many 
stars  of  promise.  The  man  who  feels  his  burden  has 
reason  to  rejoice  because  the  arm  of  the  Almighty  is 
made  bare  to  lift  it.     The  great   sacrifice  is  accom- 


54  SELAH. 

plished  and  the  fountain  is  opened  for  sin  and  for  un- 
cleanness.  The  Son  of  man  has  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins. 

II.  The  psalmist  finds  occasion  for  praise,  also,  in 
the  bitter  hour  of  temptation.  There  are  three  Selahs  in 
the  forty-sixth  Psalm:  *'God  is  our  refuge  and 
strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble.  Therefore 
will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and 
the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea. 
The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us;  the  God  of  Jacob  is 
our  refuge.      Selah!" 

A  man  is  at  his  best,  indeed,  when  he  is  going 
out  against  the  adversary.  We  wrestle  not  against 
flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities  and 
powers.  Now  lift  the  battle-hymn!  What  is  so 
magnificent  in  human  experience  as  the  conquest  of 
an  evil  habit?  What  joy  is  comparable  with  the 
joy  of  victory? 

It  is  said  that  when  Wellington  was  riding  away 
from  Waterloo,  as  he  came  into  the  open  where  the 
bullets  were  whistling  about  him,  an  aide  said,  "  My 
lord,  I  pray  you  take  heed,  for  your  life  is  in  danger 
here,"  He  replied,  "What  matters  it?  We  have 
won  the  victory!  Life  is  of  little  consequence,  now 
that  the  enemy  flies." 

Do  you  know,  my  friend,  the  delight  of  returning 
from  moral  conflict  laden  with  spoils  ?  If  so,  these 
words  are  not  meaningless  :  "Count  it  all  joy  when 
ye  fall  into  divers  temptations,  knowing  this,  that 
the  trying  of  your  faith  worketh  patience.  Blessed 
is  the  m,an  that  endureth  temptation,  for  when 
he  is  tried  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life  which 
the   Lord    hath  promised   to  them   that   love    him." 


SELAH.  55 

III.  And  again,  David  was  moved  to  exultant  praise 
in  his  earnest  quest  of  truth.  He  knew  his  own  igno- 
rance, but  he  was  no  melancholy  agnostic.  He  looked 
toward  the  heavens  and  saw  them  so  vast  and  himself 
so  little,  that  he  wondered  how  the  Lord  could  be 
mindful  of  him.  Yet  he  rejoiced  in  what  he  knew 
and  sang  praises  in  the  hope  of  knowing  more.  So 
it  was  Galileo's  delight  to  watch  the  stars  and  count 
them  with  the  naked  eye;  but  the  supreme  moment 
of  his  life  was  reached  when,  with  the  aid  of  a  lens, 
he  discerned  the  mountains  in  the  moon  and  Saturn's 
rings.  There  are  moments  in  life  when  a  new  truth 
comes  to  us  like  a  sunburst,  and  the  harps  and  trum- 
pets must  help  us  lift  the  hymn. 

In  the  village  school  at  Stratford-on-Avon  the  form 
is  shown  whereon  the  lad  Shakespeare  sat  when  he 
conned  his  A,  B,  C.  Let  him  not  despise  the  day  of 
small  things,  for  the  time  will  come  when  out  of 
these  rudiments  he  will  splendidly  enrich  the  world's 
literature.  The  soliloquy  of  Hamlet  and  all  other 
productions  of  the  great  master  are  mere  combinations 
of  the  alphabet  with  a  glowing,  exultant  soul  behind 
them.  Let  us  not  lament  our  intellectual  shortcom- 
ings, since  the  little  that  we  know  is  material 
for  indefinite  education,  and  all  eternity  is  before 
us. 

IV.  So,  also,  in  the  psahnisfs  work  for  God;  he 
had  need  for  choir  and  orchestra  to  assist  him  in  the 
joyous  discharge  of  every  duty.  If  he  were  watching 
his  flocks  on  the  hill  sides  at  Bethlehem,  or  minister- 
ing at  the  altar  in  Jerusalem,  or  gathering  material 
for  the  building  of  the  temple,  or  marching  forth 
against  Canaanitish  tribes  he  must  still  pause  and  cry, 


56  SELAH. 

"Selah!"  as  later  the  Covenanters  marched  and  fought 
for  freedom  with  the  shout,  "  For  Christ's  Crown  and 
Covenant!" 

We  have  not  enough  of  joyousness  in  our  Chris- 
tian work.  We  speak  too  much  of  duty  and  obliga- 
tion, and  think  too  little  of  the  honor  that  is  put  upon 
us  in  being  permitted  to  join  hands,  in  the  glorious 
work  of  the  kingdom,  with  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God. 

It  is  related  of  George  Story  of  blessed  memory, 
that,  in  the  midst  of  a  life  devoted  to  sensual  pleas- 
ure, he  went  up  to  the  Doncaster  races.  He  stood 
looking  idly  on  while  the  balls  flew  up  and  down,  and 
the  horses,  in  clouds  of  dust,  went  speeding  around  the 
track,  hearing  the  shouts  from  the  betting  stands  and 
the  acclamations  of  the  multitude;  then,  as  he  closed 
his  eyes  for  a  moment,  he  heard  a  voice:  ^'Is  this, 
George  Story,  a  proper  life  for  a  man  made  in  the  image 
of  the  eternal  God?  Is  there  nothing  better  for  thee? 
Lo,  here  is  a  sickle  at  thy  hand;  go,  thrust  it  in  and 
reap  for  me."  And  there  was  born  within  him  in 
that  moment  a  great  purpose,  which  by  God's  grace 
he  was  enabled  to  realize  in  a  life  of  noble  power  and 
usefulness.  All  the  pleasures  of  the  past  vanished 
like  the  lifting  of  mists  before  the  rising  sun.  His 
years  were  passed  in  toil  that  was  full  of  laughter 
and  merrymaking;  his  supreme  joy  was  to  feel  an 
utter  weariness  of  a  well-spent  day. 

V.  I7i  affliction.  Over  and  over  again  the  psalmist 
cries,  "Selah!  "  when  life's  burdens  are  heavy  upon 
him.  Thus  in  his  flight  from  Absalom,  ''Many 
there  be  that  say  unto  me,  'Where  is  thy  God?'  Se- 
lah!" 


SELAH.  57 

At  this  point  there  is  no  difference.  We  are 
born  to  sorrow  as  the  sparks  fly  upward.  Pain,  neg- 
lect, calumny,  poverty,  bereavement,  persecution; 
these  are  in  greater  or  less  measure  the  portion  of 
all.  The  only  question  is,  How  shall  we  bear  them? 
Shall  we  sink  down  in  discouragement  and  surrender 
to  despair  ?  Or,  shall  we  praise  God  that  our  light 
afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a  moment,  are  working 
for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory? 

The  only  sacred  writer,  apart  from  the  psalmist,  who 
uses  the  term  Selah  is  the  prophet  Habakkuk.  And 
this  is  singular,  for  he  lived  in  the  reign  of  Manasseh, 
the  darkest  period  of  Jewish  history.  He  was  con- 
temporary with  Jeremiah  the  wailing  prophet,  who 
wished  that  his  head  were  waters  and  his  eyes  a  foun- 
tain of  tears  that  he  might  weep  day  and  night  for 
the  slain  of  his  people.  But  the  song  of  Habakkuk 
was  pitched  in  a  higher  key.  He  also  dwelt  among 
the  ruins  that  were  left  from  the  invasion  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar; he  saw  the  desolation,  but  he  saw  also 
the  bright  light  in  the  cloud.  He  believed  in  a 
good  time  coming.  He  foretold  the  ultimate  destruc- 
tion of  Chaldaea.  He  closed  his  brief  prophecy  with 
a  transporting  song  of  exultation  which  he  dedicated 
"To  the  chief  singer  on  stringed  instruments,"  to  be 
sung  on  great  occasions  in  the  temple  service : 

''God  came  from  Teman, 
And  the  Holy  One  from  Mount  Paran.     Selah! 
His  glory  covered  the  heavens, 
And  the  earth  was  full  of  his  praise. 
And  his  brightness  was  as  the  light; 
He  had  rays  coming  forth  from  his  hand. 


58  SELAH. 

And  there  was  the  hiding  of  his  power. 
He  stood  and  measured  the  earth; 
And  the  eternal  mountains  were  scattered. 
The  everlasting  hills  did  bow." 

Thus  looking  far  into  the  future,  he  perceived  the 
Almighty  coming  to  the  relief  of  those  who  trusted 
in  him.  And  with  all  his  heart  he  believed  in  the  bet- 
ter day.      Here  are  his  last  words: 

"  Although  the  fig-tree  shall  not  blossom, 
Neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines; 
The  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail, 
And  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat; 
The  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold, 
And  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls: 
Yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation." 

So  we  should  set  even  our  bitterest  sorrows  to  mu- 
sic; for  He  giveth  songs  in  the  night.  Our  tribula- 
tion worketh  hope  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed. 
The  nightingale  is  said  to  sing  most  sweetly  when  a 
thorn  presses  against  her  breast.  So  may  the  Chris- 
tian in  adversity  rejoice  because  of  his  great  faith  in 
God.  Up  with  your  hearts  and  voices,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden!  "I  reckon  that  the  suf- 
ferings of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us." 

VI.  And  the  rejoicing  of  David  was  with  him  to 
the  very  end.  x\  quaint  father  says,  "God  leaves  the 
sugar  ever  in  the  bottom  of  our  cup. "  One  of  the 
Psalms  seems  to  have  been  composed  for  the  special 
strength  and  comfort  of  those  who  approach  the  eter- 
nal world.  "The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd;  I  shall  not 
want.     Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 


SELAH.  59 

shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with 
me;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me."  Let 
the  orchestra  play  softly  now.  Pianissimo!  A  soul 
is  going  to  its  God. 

*'  While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath, 
When  mine  eyelids  close  in  death, — " 

now,  Selah!  Let  harps  and  trumpets  strike  a 
higher  note,  for  the  sorrows  of  earth  are  vanishing 
and  the  lights  of  heaven  grow  bright ; 

"When  I  soar  to  worlds  unknown. 
And  behold  Thee  on  Thy  throne; 
Rock  of  Ages  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee." 

And  then  the  endless  glory.  The  winter  is  past, 
the  rain  is  over  and  gone.  Here  is  the  great  multi- 
tude upon  the  glassy  sea  with  harps  of  gold.  Here 
are  the  angels  and  archangels  lifting  the  song,  "  Holy 
holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty!"  Shall  we  take 
part  in  the  great  rejoicing  there?  Let  us  then  attune 
our  hearts  and  voices  to  the  thanksgivings  of  the 
earthly  life.  Set  your  life  to  music.  Your  grief  for 
sin,  your  battle-pains,  your  eager  search  for  truth, 
your  sowing  and  reaping,  your  heartaches,  your 
death-anguish ;  set  them  all  to  music,  for  in  heaven 
we  shall  see  how  all  these,  by  divine  grace,  were  made 
to  work  together  for  our  good. 

"I'll  praise  my  Maker  with  my  breath, 
And  when  my  voice  is  lost  in  death 

Praise  shall  employ  my  nobler  powers; 
My  days  of  praise  shall  ne'er  be  past, 
While  life  and  thought  and  being  last, 

Or  immortality  endures." 


ONE  CHURCH, 


That  thev  all  may  be  one ;  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that 
the}-  also  may  be  one  in  us :  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent 
me," — John  17,  21. 


The  last  interview  of  Jesus  with  his  disciples  in  the 
upper  room  is  invested  with  a  peculiar  solemnity.  On 
that  occasion  he  seemed  to  take  them,  more  deeply 
than  ever,  into  his  confidence.  He  gave  them  a  clear 
glimpse  into  heaven  in  the  words,  "  In  my  Father's 
house  are  many  mansions:  if  it  were  not  so  I  would 
have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you."  He 
led  them  into  the  secret  place  of  his  pavilion  in  those 
parabolic  words,  ''  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches. 
Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you."  He  brought  them  into 
the  very  innermost  of  spiritual  mysteries  when  he 
Slathered  them  about  the  sacramental  table  and  insti- 
tuted  the  memorial  feast;  for  here  is  the  key  to  that 
saying,  "  Except  3'e  eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood 
of  the  Son  of  Man,  ye  have  no  life  in  you."  And  then 
the  sacerdotal  prayer.  There  was  never  a  prayer  like 
this;  and  here  is  its  refrain,  "That  they  all  may  be 
one." 

He  was  standing  under  the  shadow  of  the  cross 
tvhen  he  made  that  prayer.  He  saw  in  the  future  a 
bereaved  and  lonely  company ;  a  flock  without  a  shep- 

C60) 


ONE   CHURCH.  6l 

herd,  needing  the  support  of  mutual  prayer  and  sym- 
pathy. He  looked  further  and  saw  them  bowing 
under  the  ax,  torn  by  lions,  bound  to  the  stake,  or 
fleeing  to  find  shelter  in  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth; 
and  he  knew  that  in  those  dreadful  days  they  would 
need  the  courage  of  fellowship.  Looking  still  further 
down  the  centuries,  he  saw  them  engaged  in  bitter 
controversies,  wrangling  in  councils,  parting  asunder, 
marching  against  each  other  on  embattled  fields,  and 
he  saw  the  world  looking  on  with  a  glad  amazement 
and  crying,  "  Aha  !  Aha  !  "  Thus  for  his  own  glory, 
as  for  the  welfare  of  his  followers,  he  prayed,  "  O  my 
Father,  grant  that  they  all  may  be  one,  that  the  world 
may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me." 

One  thing  is  certain ;  it  was  the  wish  of  the  Mas- 
ter that  his  Church,  the  world  over  and  through  all 
the  centuries,  should  be  a  congenial  and  harmonious 
fellowship.  This  is  suggested  in  his  words,  "And 
there  shall  be  one  flock  and  one  shepherd."  It  is  set 
forth  also  under  the  figure  of  a  happy  household;  as 
when  Paul  says,  "I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  of  whom  the  whole  family 
in  heaven  and  earth  is  named."  The  relation  of  be- 
lievers to  each  other  is  elsewhere  likened  to  a  living 
organism  of  which  Jesus  is  the  head:  "So  we,  being 
man}^,  are  one  body  in  Christ,  and  every  one  members 
one  of  another;  "  and  again,  that  we  "  may  grow  up 
into  him  in  all  things  which  is  the  head,  even  Christ, 
from  whom  the  whole  body  fitly  joined  together  and 
compacted  by  that  which  every  joint  supplieth,  ac- 
cording to  the  effectual  working  in  the  measure  of 
every  part,  maketh  increase  of  the  body  unto  the  ed- 
ifying of  itself  in  love." 


62  ONE    CHURCH. 

All  true  followers  of  Christ  believe  in  Church  Union. 
They  certify  to  that  fact  in  the  historic  confession,  "I 
believe  in  the  Holy  Catholic  Church, "  which  is  accord- 
ing to  the  same  creed  "the  communion  of  saints." 
But  a  great  deal  that  is  said  of  Church  Union  is  mere 
vapouring,  inane  and  profitless.  Let  us  reason  to- 
gether as  to  this  matter  and,  if  possible,  arrive  at  a 
sensible  view  of  it. 

It  is  claimed  that  the  Church  is  a  divine  ordinance. 
All  God's  works  are  characterized  and  controlled  by 
fixed  laws.  If  the  Church  is  a  divine  work,  it  must 
conform  to  them.     What  are  these  laws  ? 

I.  Unity.  Here  is  one  of  the  mighty  ordinances  of 
the  universe.  It  is  observed  in  every  department  of 
the  divine  handiwork. 

Let  us  begin  at  the  bottom;  that  is,  in  the  king- 
dom of  inanimate  matter.  Here  the  unifying  prin- 
ciple is  the  Law  of  Forrn.  A  grain  of  sand,  a  snowflake, 
a  diamond,  a  mountain  of  granite  are  all  alike  under 
the  domination  of  this  law. 

A  step  higher  and  we  find  ourselves  in  the  vegeta- 
ble kingdom.  Here  the  unifying  principle  is  Z(fe. 
It  is  a  great  mystery.  The  biologist,  whose  name  in- 
dicates a  special  acquaintance  with  living  creatures, 
cannot  even  define  it.  He  tears  asunder  a  living 
thing  in  pursuit  of  the  life  principle;  but  it  ever 
evades  him.  He  can  neither  produce  nor  define  it. 
Nevertheless  in  this  kingdom  it  is  the  all-pervading 
fact.  A  grain  of  wheat,  a  rose-bud,  a  lofty  pine  are 
all  brought  into  kinship  and  dominated  by  it. 

A  step  higher  and  we  enter  the  animal  kingdom. 
We  are  here  in  the  presence  of  a  new  principle,  to- 
wit,    Instinct.      It  is    somewhat    m.ore    than    life    and 


ONE    CHURCH.  6$ 

somewhat  less  than  reason.  All  things  within  the 
boundaries  of  this  realm  are  by  it  enabled  to  sustain 
themselves  and  secure  their  well-being.  The  sea- 
anemone,  the  nightingale,  the  Gordon  setter  are  alike, 
though  not  equally,  endowed  with  it. 

The  next  and  final  step  brings  us  into  the  presence 
of  man.  The  kingdom  here  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 
The  unifying  principle  is  Spirit  The  race  is  bound 
together  by  it.  This  is  more  than  life,  than  instinct, 
than  reason.  It  is  a  filial  bond  by  which  humanity  is 
brought  into  communion  with  God.  A  man  can  pray. 
He  can  reason  with  his  brother  or  his  Father  as  to 
great  verities.  He  exercises  a  sovereign  will  in  moral 
acts.  He  is  always  conscious  of  a  divine  birth,  of  a 
fall  from  his  high  estate,  of  a  possible  reconciliation 
with  God.  In  this  he  is  infinitely  removed  from  all 
the  lower  orders  of  life.  It  is  as  if  sun,  moon  and 
stars  bowed  down  before  him.  He  alone  is  a  being 
of  two  worlds:  he  is  in  this  world  yet  not  altogether 
of  it;  a  pilgrim  and  a  sojourner,  looking  for  a  better 
country,  even  an  heavenly,  and  for  a  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 

II.  Diversity  in  unity.  We  shall  not  find  uniformity. 
This  is  contrary  to  the  analogy  of  the  divine  work. 
The  orbs  of  heaven  are  unified  by  a  common  law, 
all  circulating  about  a  single  centre;  yet  divided  into 
systems,  each  having  its  own  centre  and  every  orb  its 
own  orbit.  And  there  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and 
another  glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the 
stars. 

So,  if  we  begin  again  at  the  bottom  of  terrestrial 
things,  we  shall  discover  this  diversity.  No  two 
snowflakes  are  identical  in  form;  all  are  fabricated  in 


64  ONE    CHURCH. 

the  same  loom ;  yet,  if  it  were  possible  to  gather  all 
that  shall  fall  in  the  storms  of  the  coming  winter,  we 
should  not  find  two  of  them  precisely  alike.  The 
same  is  true  in  the  higher  kingdom  of  vegetable 
life.  The  leaves  of  the  forest  give  token  of  a  com- 
mon law,  yet  no  two  in  Vallombrosa  are  indistinguish- 
able from  each  other.  So  on  the  butterfly's  wing  you 
will  always  find  the  marvelous  fleck  of  color,  yet 
there  is  an  illimitable  diversity.  The  same  is  true  of 
men.  We  speak  of  "the  human  family "  and  thus 
show  our  belief  in  the  unifying  force,  but  the  diver- 
sity is  equally  plain,  for  there  are  no  precise  dupli- 
cates among  us. 

This  is  a  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  divine 
work.  Man  aims  at  uniformity;  God  at  diversity  in 
unity.  A  manufacturer  of  cotton  prints  makes  ten 
thousand  dress  patterns  all  alike ;  but  see  how  God 
clothes  the  forest  in  this  autumn  time, — with  what 
diversity  of  tapestry,  what  garlands  and  festoons  of 
ever-varying  leaf  and  vine.  No  matter  where  you 
find  Turner's  sunsets,  you  can  recognize  them;  he 
mixes  the  same  colors  and  with  the  same  brush  lays 
them  on  canvas.  Now  turn  your  eyes  westward  at 
the  close  of  day  and  see  God's  sunsets!  These  are 
not  the  colors  that  you  saw  last  night;  here  is  a  pat- 
tern that  was  never  seen  before.  The  masterpiece  of 
the  sculptor  Powers  was  his  Greek  Slave;  he  made 
three  copies  or  replicas,  and,  lo!  they  are  facsimiles, 
line  for  line  and  curve  for  curve.  God  makes  sixteen 
hundred  millions  of  human  beings  to  occupy  the 
earth  to-day  and  no  two  of  them  have  faces  just  alike. 
Nevertheless,  the  life,  the  reason,  the  spiritual  fac- 
ulty, the  unifying  principle  is  in  all.     They  think,  but 


ONE    CHURCH. 


6s 


they  do  not  think  the  same  thoughts.  They  feel,  but 
they  do  not  have  the  same  emotions.  They  reason, 
but  they  do  not  reason  to  the  same  conclusions.  So 
everywhere  there  is  diversity  in  unity. 

III.  ^^  Natural  Selection;''  that  is,  segregation.  All 
things  in  God's  universe  get  together  in  coteries  ; 
they  group  themselves  by  sympathetic  attraction. 

This  holds  even  at  the  bottom.  Gold  is  found  in 
veins,  in  pockets  and  in  placers;  it  flocks  by  itself, 
seeks  its  own.  In  like  manner  trees  and  plants  are  in- 
digenous to  one  clime  or  to  another ;  they  adjust  them- 
selves to  their  environment  like  families.  In  the 
animal  kingdom  w^e  observe  the  separation  of  the 
denizens  of  air  and  earth  and  water;  each  group  finds 
its  own  habitat;  the  menhaden  go  in  schools,  the 
waterfowl  in  flocks,  the  beasts  of  the  forest  in  herds. 

In  pursuance  of  this  law  we  should  expect  to  find 
men  falling  into  companies,  nor  are  we  disappointed. 
Here  are  Shem,  Ham  and  Japheth  going  forth  from 
Ararat  to  pursue  their  several  ways.  We  may  easily 
mark  the  divergent  lines  of  their  development.  They 
form  the  three  races  of  men ;  the  three  races  which  are 
distinguishable  the  whole  world  over.  And  each  of 
these  races  in  turn  is  divided  into  nations ;  nations  that 
separate  from  each  other,  take  up  their  several  abodes 
and  assume  their  distinct  place  in  history.  In  the 
natural  course  of  events  each  of  these  nations  is  sub- 
divided into  communities,  and  within  any  of  these 
communities  are  found  the  various  levels  of  society. 
Caste,  however  we  may  deplore  it,  is  not  peculiar  to 
India.  It  is  the  inevitable  result  of  the  law  of  segre- 
gation, each  seeking  its  kind.  Coteries  are  formed 
by  the  attraction  of  mutual  taste  and  temperaments. 


66  ONE    CHURCH. 

Here  is  the  "Submerged  Tenth"  and  here  is  the 
"Upper  Ten-thousand";  and  those  who  are  in  the 
one  would  not  be  in  the  other.  Here  are  political 
parties,  also  divided  along  the  line  of  normal  cleav- 
age. Here  are  labor-guilds  on  the  one  hand  and 
monopolistic  trusts  on  the  other.  Here  are  secret 
societies  of  such  a  character  as  that  those  who  are  in 
would  not  be  out,  and  those  who  are  out  would  not 
be  in.  Here  are  clubs  and  the  militia  and  associa- 
tions of  innumerable  sorts,  implying  no  necessary- 
antagonism,  but  merely  the  coherence  of  sympathetic 
minds.  This  is  natural  selection.  It  may  be  regu- 
lated by  considerations  of  justice  and  human  rights; 
but  to  undertake  to  destroy  it  would  be  to  do  violence 
to  the  natural  order  of  things. 

IV.  Now  as  to  the  application  of  these  consider- 
ations to  the  problem  of  Church  Union. 

1.  As  to  the  law  of  Unity.  The  Church  is  bound 
together  by  one  vital  and  formative  fact;  that  is,  a 
common  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  what 
we  mean  when  we  say,  "  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Cath- 
olic Church,  the  Communion  of  Saints."  It  is  made 
up  of  all,  everywhere  and  throughout  all  ages,  who 
are  sincerely  enlisted  under  the  banner  of  the  cross. 
This  is  the  unifying  principle;  no  diversity  of  names 
or  minor  considerations  can  disturb  it.  "Ye  are 
builded  together  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
corner  stone."  And  "Other  foundation  can  no  man 
lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ." 

2.  The  law  of  Diversity  is  as  obvious  among  the 
great  multitude  of  Christian  believers  as  it  is  every- 
where else  in  the  universe  of  God.     The  eleven  men 


ONE    CHURCH.  67 

who  went  out  of  the  upper  chamber  to  become  the 
nucleus  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  were  as  unlike 
as  possible;  John  the  mystic,  Peter  the  zealot, 
Thomas  the  doubter  and  the  others  went  their  several 
ways.  It  was  not  long  before  they  were  multiplied 
into  thousands,  but  each  of  these  thousands  was  an 
independent  thinker,  having  Christ  at  the  centre  of 
his  heart  but  holding  his  own  standpoint  for  the  mak- 
ing of  his  creeds 

There  are  now  some  hundreds  of  millions  of 
Christians  on  earth ;  all  are  one  in  Christ,  avowing 
their  fellowship  in  the  words,  "One  Lord,  one 
faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  us  all." 
Yet  these  believers  are  at  all  points — the  sole  ex- 
ception being  the  unifying  principle  of  a  common 
faith  in  Christ — diverse  one  from  another.  They  do 
their  own  thinking  in  their  own  way ;  make  their 
prayers  according  to  their  individual  convictions; 
live  in  pursuance  of  the  dictates  of  personal  con- 
science; being  as  dissimilar  in  moral  constitution  as 
in  feature.  "They  are  distinct,"  we  say,  "as  the 
billows,  yet  one  as  the  sea."  The  sea  rolls  to  and 
fro  in  perpetual  restlessness,  surging  in  foaming 
masses  upon  the  shores  of  all  islands  and  continents, 
into  bays  and  deltas  and  estuaries  everywhere,  yet 
there  is  a  power  that  holds  it  ever  as  one.  The  moon 
reaches  down  her  white  arms  out  of  heaven  and 
twice  each  day  lifts  and  rolls  this  mighty,  surging 
flood  in  the  unresting  movements  of  the  tides.  So 
does  Christ  pervade  and  dominate  and  sway  the  uni- 
versal church.  O  glorious  faith!  O  infinite  power 
of  the  gracious  Christ!  In  the  sublimity  of  our 
human  nature  we  are  free  to  differ,  but  in  the  sym- 


6S  ONE    CHURCH. 

pathy  of  an  all-pervading  faith  we  are  one  in  Him ! 

3.  Then  as  to  Natural  Selection.  The  segregation 
of  believers  was  inevitable  from  the  beginning.  It 
was  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  church  should 
divide  into  Greek  and  Roman.  Do  we  say  it  was  a 
frivolous  thing  to  part  asunder  on  the  phrase  Filio- 
que?  There  may  be  room  for  a  difference  of  opinion 
there,  but  the  ground  of  separation  lay  further  back ; 
that  is,  in  the  difference  of  the  Greek  and  the  Roman 
temperament.  And  again,  it  was  only  a  question  of 
time  when  Protestantism  should  come  forth  out  of 
the  Roman  fellowship.  And  for  this  again  there  was 
a  reason :  the  birth  of  Protestantism  was  an  expres- 
sion of  the  renaissance  of  religious  liberty. 

It  was  furthermore  inevitable  that  Protestantism 
should  itself,  in  the  course  of  time,  be  divided  into 
denominations.  Some  men  are  so  constituted  that 
they  cannot  frame  a  system  of  belief  without  be- 
ginning at  the  sovereignty  of  God;  these  are 
Calvinists.  And  to  complain  against  their  segre- 
gation is  to  find  fault  with  nature  itself.  There  are 
others  who  in  looking  at  doctrine,  take  their  stand- 
point at  the  freedom  of  the  human  will;  these  are 
Arminians.  Let  them  flock  by  themselves.  There 
are  some  who  are  so  constructed  as  to  love  the  pomp 
and  circumstance  of  a  liturgical  service.  We  may 
not  be  able  to  sympathize  with  these;  but  let  us  not 
object  to  their  fraternization  because  we  are  not 
formed  that  way.  This  segregation  indeed  is  as  it 
should  be.  While  human  nature  is  as  it  is,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  conceive  of  any  other  order  of  things;  it  is 
simply  the  carrying  out  of  certain  laws  which  are 
interwoven  in  the  constitution  of  the  race.     It  is  use- 


ONE    CHURCH.  69 

less  to  oppose  it.  A  oneness  brought  about  by  me- 
chanical pressure  must  be  artificial  at  the  best  and 
merely  superficial.  An  illustration  may  be  found  in 
the  worst  periods  of  papal  history,  where  we  see 
either  spiritual  deadness  on  the  one  hand,  or  on  the 
other  hand  repressed,  seething  discontent  like  inner 
fires  seeking  vent  at  every  joint  and  fissure.  It  is 
impossible  to  contend  against  the  natural  order  of 
things. 

Now  as  to  practical  considerations.  What  are  our 
duties  as  individual  Christians  in  these  premises  ?  Or, 
what  can  we  do  to  aid  and  further  the  fulfilment  of 
our  Lord's  prayer  that  his  disciples  the  world  over 
may  be  one  ? 

First:  IVe  may  cease  clamoring  for  uniformity.  There 
is  nothing  in  this  cry.  The  thing  is  impossible  of 
accomplishment  and  undesirable  any  way.  The  most 
teasing,  irritating,  trouble-fomenting  people  are  those 
who,  in  the  interest  of  what  they  call  Church  Union, 
are  ever  and  anon  rising  to  say,  "  There  is  dissension  ; 
and,  brethren,  you  are  all  wrong;  and  you  will  never 
be  right  until  you  take  down  your  neighborly  fences 
and  cease  from  differences  of  opinion  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  Christ."  The  influence  of  such  people  is 
wholly  divisive  and  disintegrating.  The  trouble  is 
all  in  their  mind's  eye.  The  differences  of  opinion 
are  natural  and  inevitable.  The  divisions  are  such 
as  grow  out  of  the  constitution  of  the  race  and  the 
order  of  things. 

Second :  Let  us  cease  claiming  for  our  own  denomina- 
tion any  exclusive  title  to  the  franchise  of  the  Church  of 
God.  There  is  room  here  for  an  application  of  the 
axiom,  "The  whole  is  larger  than  any  of  its  parts.'* 


70  ONE    CHURCH. 

He  may  be  a  true  Christian  at  heart,  but  is  a  narrow- 
minded  bigot,  who  joins  in  the  cry  of  any  coterie  of 
believers,  "The  temple  of  the  Lord  are  we."  For  is 
it  not  written,  "The  body  is  not  one  member,  but 
many.  And  if  they  were  all  one  member,  where  were 
the  body?"  And  again,  "There  are  diversities  of 
operations,  but  it  is  the  same  God  which  worketh  all 
in  all."  To  claim  the  divine  blessing  and  exclusive 
ecclesiastical  function  for  my  limited  circle,  is  to  put 
on  airs  which  the  Lord  rebukes,  the  church  con- 
temns, and  the  world  laughs  at.  This  is  the  leaven  of 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees;  and  "except  your  right- 
eousness exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven." 

Third:  Let  us  enlarge  our  hearts  in  a  magnanimous 
charity  toward  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  ' '  The 
real  cure  for  disunion,"  says  Joseph  Parker,  "is  not 
in  the  abolition  of  sects,  but  in  the  abolition  of  sec- 
tarianism." Let  us  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  those 
who,  calling  themselves  after  the  name  of  our  Mas- 
ter, differ  from  us  in  minor  things.  Pray  for  all  who 
are  of  the  household  of  faith.  Pray  for  Greeks,  Ro- 
manists and  Protestants.  Pray  for  the  sister  denomi- 
nations. Men  do  not  quarrel  when  on  their  knees. 
We  are  brethren,  and  the  injunction  which  the  patri- 
arch gave  to  his  sons  departing  for  Egypt,  is  wise 
counsel  for  us :   "  See  that  ye  fall  not  out  by  the  way. " 

And  finally:  Let  us  e77iphasize  our  common  faith  in 
Christ.  Back  to  Christ!  My  friend,  trundle  your 
own  opinions  out  of  the  way  at  the  approach  of  his 
chariot.  Let  us  make  much  of  his  life,  much  of  his 
glorious  teachings,  much  of  his  redemptive  work  on 


ONE    CHURCH.  7  I 

Calvary,  much  of  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  much 
of  his  intercession  at  the  throne  of  heavenly  grace, 
much  of  his  great  commission.  The  Church  can  well 
afford  to  differ  in  all  things  else  whatsoever,  if  only 
it  will  agree  to  advance  in  all  its  multitudinous  divi- 
sions as  one  great  army  to  the  conquest  of  the  world 
for  him.  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  evangelize." 
Oh,  for  the  day  when  we  shall  all  be  too  busy,  too 
joyously  busy  in  fulfilling  that  great  commission,  to 
carp  and  criticise  and  make  arrogant  claims!  The 
world  awaits  the  awaking  of  the  Church. 

On  the  night  before  the  battle  of  Trafalgar,  the 
admiral.  Lord  Nelson,  summoned  his  lieutenants 
CoUingwood  and  Rotherham,  betvv^een  whom  there 
was  a  quarrel  of  long  standing.  From  the  deck  of 
the  flag-ship  he  pointed  out  the  enemy's  fleet.  "To- 
morrow," he  said,  "I  and  you  must  go  out  to  meet 
them.  Shake  hands  for  England's  sake.  Shake 
hands  and  make  up!  "  The  world  awaits  the  united 
onward  movement  of  the  Church  for  evangelization. 
A  hundred  years  of  foreign  missions  have  passed,  and 
Armageddon  draws  near.  The  Prince  upon  his  white 
horse,  with  his  white  battalions,  on  the  borders  of  the 
heavens,  rides  this  way.  The  trumpet  sounds  the 
reveille  to  Greek  and  Romanist  and  Protestant, — to 
all  bodies  of  believers  whatsoever,  to  arise  and  go 
forth  in  the  Master's  name.  All  other  considerations 
dwindle  into  nothing  now.  Shake  hands  and  make 
up,  for  the  Master's  sake!  is  the  word.  Go  ye,  go 
ye  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Go  ye 
forth  as  one  great  mobilized  army.  Go  ye  out  under 
the  banner  of  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  "All 
power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and   on  earth;  go 


72  ONE    CHURCH. 

ye,  therefore,  and  preach  the  gospel;  and,  lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
To  hear  his  voice,  and  with  one  impulse  rise  and 
obey,  will  be  to  accomplish  a  glorious  fulfilment  of 
his  prayer  "that  they  all  may  be  one,  that  the 
world  may  know,  O  Father,  that  thou  hast  sent  me, 
and  hast  loved  them  even  as  thou  hast  loved  me." 


THE  LOGIA. 

"We  ought  to  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  how  he  said—." — Acts 
20,  35. 

The  thinking  world  is  just  now  criticising  and  dis- 
cussing an  old  papyrus  scroll  known  as  the  "  Logia, " 
or  "Sayings  of  Jesus."  It  was  found  last  winter 
with  a  multitude  of  other  ancient  manuscripts,  of 
more  or  less  value,  in  the  ruins  of  Oxyrhynchus  in 
lower  Egypt.  It  is  a  mere  fragment  consisting  of 
seven  disconnected  sentences,  as  follows: 

"  I . and  see  how  to  draw  out  the  mote  that  is  in 

thy  brother  s  eye. 

"2.  Jesus  saith,  If  ye  do  not  fast  toward  the  worlds  ye 
will  not  find  the  kifigdom  of  God;  and  if  ye  do  not  celebrate 
the  Sabbath  aright^  ye  will  not  see  the  Father. 

"3.  Jesus  saith,  I  entered  into  the  midst  of  the  world, 
and  i?i  the  flesh  I  appeared  unto  them  ^  and  I  found  them 
all  drunken^  and  none  did  I  find  thirsty  amo7ig  them  ;  and 
my  soul  labor eth  for  the  children  of  men,  for  they  are  blind 
in  their  hearts  and  they  do  not  see  their  poverty. 

• '  4.  Jesus  saith,  Wherever  they  may  be,  there  they  are 
not  without  God ;  and  just  as  one  is  alone,  thus  I  am  with 
him.  Lift  the  stone  and  there  thou  will  find  me;  cleave  the 
wood,  and  I  am  there. 

* '  5 .  Jesus  saith,  A  prophet  is  not  welcome  in  his  own 
city,  nor  does  a  physician  effect  cures  among  those  who  know 
him. 

(73) 


74 


THE    LOGIA. 


*'  6.  Jesus  saith,  A  city  that  is  built  and  established  on 
the  top  of  a  high  hill  ca7i  ?ieither  fall  nor  be  hidden. 

''7.   Jesus  saith,  Hea?'  this " 

As  to  the  genuineness  of  these  "  Sayings  of  Jesus  " 
there  may  be  a  wide  difference  of  opinion,  but  it  will 
be  generally  agreed  that  they  contribute  little  if  any- 
thing to  our  possession  of  spiritual  truth.  The  first, 
third,  fifth  and  sixth  of  these  sentences  are  mere 
repetitions  of  Scripture.  The  second  is  ascetic,  the 
fourth  is  mystical  and  the  seventh  is  valueless,  being 
abruptly  broken  off.  The  general  verdict  upon  the 
Logia  is,  that  what  is  true  in  them  is  not  new,  and 
what  is  new  is  not  true. 

The  question  naturally  arises,  How  are  these  and 
similar  pseudo-Scriptures  to  be  accounted  for  ?  Our 
Lord  during  his  ministry  was  universally  regarded 
as  an  extraordinary  teacher  of  great  spiritual  truths. 
He  laid  a  fearless  hand  on  problems  which  affrighted 
and  bewildered  the  accredited  theologians  of  his 
time.  He  taught  "as  one  having  authority,  and  not 
as  the  scribes."  His  name  and  doctrine  were  dis- 
cussed in  all  quarters.  The  common  people  heard 
him  gladly.  The  rulers  hated  and  conspired  against 
him.  In  one  judgment  all  were  agreed:  "Never 
man  spake  like  this  man. "  His  death,  instead  of  sup- 
pressing the  general  interest,  increased  it.  The  air, 
in  the  early  flush  of  the  Christian  Era,  was  full  of 
rumors  concerning  him.  There  were  legends  and  tra- 
ditions innumerable  passing  from  mouth  to  mouth. 
It  was  clear  that  if  posterity  was  to  have  the  full  ben- 
efit of  his  wonderful  teachings,  there  must  be  a  rigid 
sifting  and  an  authoritative  canon. 

To  this  end  "  holy  men  "  were  divinely  appointed 


THE    LOGIA.  75 

to  prepare  the  New  Testament.  These  men  were 
chosen  from  among  the  disciples;  it  being  pre-requi- 
site  that  they  should  have  been  eye-witnesses  of  the 
ministry  of  Jesus.  They  wrote  "as  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  No  doubt  they  made  use  of 
current  manuscripts;  but  whether  as  authors,  "red- 
actors," or  immediate  recipients  of  revelation,  they 
wrought  under  the  direct  control  and  supervision  of 
the  Spirit.  When  they  had  finished  the  volume,  it 
was  sealed  with  a  seal  of  divine  authority  and  the 
word  "Finis"  closed  it. 

But  very  many  legends  and  untrustworthy  tradi- 
tions were  left  over;  many  of  these  have  survived  to 
this  day.  It  would  be  strange  were  it  otherwise. 
There  are  more  than  fifty  apocryphal  gospels.  One 
of  our  local  newspapers  recently  printed  what  pur- 
ported to  be  the  "Report  of  Pontius  Pilate  to  the 
Roman  Emperor  respecting  the  Trial,  Conviction  and 
Execution  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth."  This  is  simply  one 
of  the  immense  multitude  of  extra-canonical  and  fre- 
quently spurious  traditions.  The  fragment  now 
under  consideration  is  another.  The  temple  of  the 
New  Testament  canon  was  built  by  inspired  writers 
and  finished  to  the  laying  of  the  top  stone  of  the 
corner.  All  within  that  temple  is  divine;  all  with- 
out that  temple  may  be  of  archaeological  interest,  but 
the  divine  seal  is  not  upon  it. 

But  why  this  general  and  consuming  interest  with 
respect  to  a  mere  fragment  of  papyrus — a  tattered 
leaf,  tantalizingly  short,  and  containing  nothing  new 
or  of  surpassing  value  ?  Why  should  the  world  of 
scholars  and  thinking  people  be  so  exercised  about 
it  ?     The  incident  has  an   important  bearing  on  the 


76 


THE    LOGIA. 


two  vital  problems  of  to-day,  to  wit:  The  Bible  as  the 
Written^  and  Christ  as  the  Incarnate  Word  of  God. 

I.  Its  bearing  on  the  Biblical  Controversy.  This  is 
preeminently  the  controversy  of  our  time.  For  years 
we  have  been  witnessing  a  most  insidious  and  per- 
sistent assault  on  the  trustworthiness  of  Holy  Writ. 
It  was  inevitable  that,  amid  the  furious  winds  of  such 
a  tempest,  there  should  be  in  many  quarters  a  loss  of 
confidence  in  the  truth  of  Scripture.  "Continual 
dropping  wears  away  a  stone.  ^'  A  man  who  had  list- 
ened for  years,  even  with  the  most  unbiased  mind, 
to  persistent  and  malignant  scandals  uttered  against 
the  integrity  of  his  ovv^n  mother,  could  scarcely  enter 
her  presence  without  looking  askance  at  her.  We 
welcome,  therefore,  whatever  shall  restore  our  im- 
paired confidence  in  the  authenticity  and  absolute 
veracity  of  the  Word. 

The  Evangelist  John  closes  his  gospel  with  these 
singular  words:  "And  there  are  also  many  other 
things  which  Jesus  did,  the  which,  if  they  should  be 
written  every  one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world 
itself  could  not  contain  the  books  which  should  be 
written."  This  is  generally  regarded  as  an  hyper- 
bole ;  an  oriental  way  of  saying,  Of  all  teachers,  he 
was  the  greatest,  and  of  all  teaching  his  was  the  most 
prolific  and  universal.  But  there  is  a  sense  in  which 
the  statement  of  the  evangelist  may  be  regarded  as 
literally  true.  There  is  indeed  an  element  of  infini- 
tude in  the  doctrine  of  Jesus.  His  lifetime  is  from 
everlasting  to  everlasting,  and  wisdom  has  eternally 
dropped  from  his  lips,  as  light  emanates  from  the  sun. 
It  is  but  an  infinitesimal  part  of  this  wisdom  which  is 
contained  in  Holy  Writ.      The  Scriptures  are  not  in- 


THE    LOGIA.  77 

tended  to  be  an  encyclopedia,  but  a  compendium  of 
truth  for  the  uses  of  human  life.  There  are  many- 
truths  outside,  there  are  many  Logia  which  may  in- 
deed be  veritable  echoes  of  Jesus'  voice ,  but  the  temple 
is  finished,  and  it  affords  no  room  for  the  rejected 
debris  which  lies  around  it.  Here  is  the  important 
matter:  The  Book  is  sufficient j  and^  because  sufficient^ 
it  is  complete  and  closed  forever. 

I.  //  is  sufficie7it  for  salvation.  The  red  thoroughfare 
of  blood  runs  all  through  its  inspired  pages.  The 
way  from  sin  to  pardon  is  clearly  marked  out.  This 
is  a  faithful  saying  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation, 
that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sin- 
ners. "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin;"  and,  ''without  the  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission  "  for  sin.  *'  He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life;"  and,  "There  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men 
whereby  we  must  be  saved."  Here  is  enough. 
What  more  shall  be  added  ? 

We  are  told  of  a  sinful  man  who,  having  gone  to 
his  own  place  to  endure  the  pains  of  everlasting 
shame  and  remorse,  entreated  that  a  drop  of  water 
might  be  brought  to  cool  his  parched  lips.  It  was 
refused,  because  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall 
he  also  reap,  and  in  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth 
there  it  shall  be.  He  then  asked  that  a  messenger 
might  be  sent  from  heaven,  to  admonish  his  five 
brethren  who  were  still  on  earth,  lest  they  should 
come  into  the  same  condemnation.  This  also  was 
refused  in  the  words,  "If  they  believe  not  Moses 
and  the  prophets" — that  is  the  Scriptures — "neither 
would  they  believe  though  one  rose  from  the  dead.' 


yg  THE    LOGIA. 

That  is  to  say,  the  Scriptures  are  clear,  complete  and 
sufficient  as  to  the  plan  of  salvation.  No  Logia  can 
add  to  their  force.  If,  despite  their  plain  warnings 
and  invitations,  men  are  still  determined  to  run  upon 
the  bosses  of  God's  shield,  they  could  not  be  pre- 
vented  even  though  a  troop  of  angels  were  to  come 
with  new  Sayings  of  Jesus  to  entice  them. 

2.  The  Scriptures  as  we  have  them  are  sufficient  for  the 
building  of  character.  The  proof  is  in  their  influence 
on  men  and  nations.  A  Christian  is  defined  to  be 
"the  best  type  of  man."  And  the  best  type  of  na- 
tion is  the  one  that  finds  its  constitution  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. Were  you  a  shipwrecked  mariner  and  asked 
to  determine  whether  you  would  drift  upon  the  mer- 
cies of  a  Moslem,  Buddhist  or  Christian  community, 
you  would  not  take  a  moment  to  decide.  God's 
Book  makes  men.  It  is  a  chart  whereon  the  course 
of  right  conduct  is  clearly  marked.  Seafaring  men 
make  frequent  visits  to  our  marine  office  to  report 
new  reefs  or  derelicts.  But  in  the  Scriptures  every 
hidden  rock  and  every  floating  hulk  are  indicated. 
It  is  impossible  to  suggest  any  valuable  addendum  to 
its  ethical  code.  It  touches  every  point  in  the  cir- 
cumference of  human  life. 

3.  The  Scriptures  furnish  an  entire  equipment  for  every 
good  work.  Everything  here  is  needful;  nothing  is 
superfluous.  "All  Scripture  is  profitable  for  doc- 
trine, for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in 
righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  every  good  work." 

To  the  minds  of  thoughtful  people  such  considera- 
tions as  these  must  serve  to  deepen  confidence  in  the 
old-fashioned  Book.     To  say  that  we  love  our  Bibles 


THE    LOGIA.  79 

is  not  enough.  We  may  love  them  and  still  regard 
them  with  misgivings.  It  was  a  sorrowful  day  for 
Nero  when  he  lost  confidence  in  his  tutor,  Seneca. 
He  had  learned  in  his  boyhood  to  love  the  old  phi- 
losopher and  for  a  time  he  dutifully  followed  his 
teachings.  His  love  did  not  falter;  he  brought  his 
teacher  back  from  exile  and  clothed  him  with  honor 
at  the  imperial  court.  But  there  were  those  among 
his  associates  who  laughed  at  Seneca's  melancholy 
face  and  pointed  their  fingers  at  his  scholar's  robe. 
Nero  still  for  many  a  long  year  cherished  the  old  man 
as  his  friend,  and  gave  him  a  place  at  his  own  table, 
but  no  longer  heeded  his  instructions.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  some  regard  their  Bibles  in  the  same  way. 
They  love  them  still,  but  the  air  has  been  so  full 
of  adverse  criticism,  that  there  has  been  a  waning 
of  confidence.  Nevertheless  the  Book  remains  as 
ever,  an  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  sufficient 
and  complete  for  all  human  uses.  *'The  heavens 
being  on  fire  shall  be  dissolved  and  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,"  but  "  The  word  of  our 
God  shall  stand  forever;"  "the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it." 

II.  Let  us  now  consider  the  bearing  of  the  Logia  on  the 
problem  of  Christ.  He  was  an  incomparable  teacher. 
"The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,"  he  said,  "they 
are  spirit  and  they  are  life."  And  again,  "Heaven 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not 
pass  away." 

Why  this  general  interest  in  the  finding  of  new 
sayings  of  Jesus,  a  few  inconsequential  words  that 
have  escaped  the  rasure  of  time  and  fluttered  down 
to  us  ?      Not  critics  only  nor  antiquarians,   but  the 


So  THE    LOGIA. 

people  everywhere,  are  exercised  about  them.  Not 
long  ago  a  new  poem  of  Milton's  was  found  among 
the  old  manuscripts  of  the  British  Museum.  It  was 
no  trifling  event,  the  discovery  of  a  hitherto  unknown 
production  by  the  author  of  "  Paradise  Lost."  Nev- 
ertheless it  was  only  a  nine-days'  wonder  and  many 
of  you  doubtless  have  not  even  heard  of  it.  But  the 
mere  suggestion  that  we  have  come  upon  an  incoher- 
ent echo  of  the  voice  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  a  very 
different  thing.      The  world  takes  note  of  it. 

Who  was  this  Jesus,  this  incomparable  Teacher  ? 
There  he  stands  at  the  remote  distance  of  nineteen 
hundred  years,  demanding  an  answer  of  every  thought- 
ful man.  He  was  no  scholar,  no  philosopher,  was 
indeed  quite  unfamiliar  with  the  teaching  of  the 
schools.  He  was  a  man  of  the  people;  a  carpenter, 
his  hands  callous  with  toil,  ^cce  Hofjio !  He  rode 
into  Jerusalem,  those  going  before  and  those  follow- 
ing after  crying,  "Hosanna!  Hosanna!"  and  the 
people  standing  in  their  doorways  asked,  as  the  world 
has  been  asking  ever  since,  "  Who  is  this  ?  " 

But  Jesus  is  more  than  a  figure  of  the  remote  past. 
He  has  come  down  through  history,  making  his  mark 
on  all  the  centuries,  with  an  ever-increasing  retinue 
of  followers  to  this  day.  It  was  in  vain  that  they 
crucified  him.  The  centurion,  on  the  evening  of  the 
great  tragedy,  went  back  to  Pilate  and  reported, 
"  He  is  dead.  I  stood  by  A/ith  my  quaternions  after 
he  had  been  nailed  upon  the  cross,  and,  when  the 
three  hours  of  his  mortal  arguish  were  over,  I  caused 
a  soldier  to  thrust  a  spear  into  his  side  and  there 
came  forth  blood  and  water.  My  mission  is  accom- 
plished; the  Nazarene  is  dead."     A  messenger  went 


THE    LOGIA.  8l 

Up  to  the  Hall  Gazith  and  made  a  similar  report  to 
the  Sanhedrin:  "I  stood  with  the  multitude  under 
his  cross.  I  saw  the  strange  noonday  darkness 
gather  about  him,  and,  when  it  lifted,  I  heard  him 
cry  with  a  loud  voice,  '  Tetelestai!'  'It  is  finished!' 
Then  as  I  came  away  I  turned  and  saw  his  form  dark 
against  the  sky.  The  Nazarene  is  dead;  we  shall i 
hear  no  more  of  him." 

But  this  was  not  enough.  His  words  still  lived, 
and  because  of  their  power  it  was  as  if  his  spectre 
walked  the  earth.  To  put  an  end  to  his  doctrines, 
the  sword  was  unsheathed  and  the  fagots  were  lit. 
There  were  bonfires  of  men;  the  smell  of  hissing 
flesh  was  in  the  air  and  martyrs  died  with  the 
Logia  on  their  lips.  There  were  bonfires  of  Bibles; 
the  air  was  filled  with  the  smoke  of  crackling  parch- 
ment, but  the  word  was  not  destroyed.  Nee 
tamen  consumebatur !  Verily,  his  words  are  spirit 
and  life. 

The  sayings  of  Jesus  have  been  the  most  potent 
factor  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Era.  Weighty 
words!  He  uttered  the  Golden  Rule  which  is,  by 
common  consent,  the  great  unifying  force  among 
men  and  nations.  He  spoke  the  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan:  "  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerus- 
alem to  Jericho  and  coming  upon  one  who  had  been 
waylaid  and  robbed  and  left  for  dead,  he  bound  up 
his  wounds  and  cared  for  him."  In  this  simple  story 
Ues  the  solution  of  all  problems  of  sociology.  It  is 
the  inspiration  of  all  benevolence  and  kindliness.  H^e 
said,  as  he  gathered  his  friends  around  the  sacramen- 
tal table,  "Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me",  and  at 
that  word  the  Church  came  into  being — a  great  living 


82  THE    LOGIA. 

organism  through  which  his  Spirit  is  working  with 
ever-growing  power  for  the  deliverance  of  the  world 
from  sin.  He  said,  "Render  unto  Coesar  the  things 
that  are  Caesar's";  the  fundamental  maxim  of  wise 
politics  and  sound  government,  which  found  an  echo 
in  Paul's  sermon  on  Mars'  Hill,  later  still  in  Magna 
Charta,  and  last  of  all  in  our  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. All  the  institutions  of  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical freedom  rest  upon  it.  He  said,  ''  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world  and  evangelize,"  and  at  that  word  eleven 
men  set  out  to  the  conquest  of  the  world.  Their 
numbers  were  multiplied,  until  to-day  there  are  hun- 
dreds of  millions  living  and  preaching  the  Evangel, 
by  which  they  shall  presently  usher  in  the  Golden 
Age.      Aye,  his  words  are  spirit  and  they  are  life. 

He  alone  of  the  great  teachers  survives.  Where 
are  Plato,  Seneca,  Epictetus,  Socrates,  Sakya-muni  ? 
These  "built  their  nests  in  the  temple  of  fame  as 
swallows  in  the  spouts,"  and  the  first  shower  washed 
them  away.  But  a  strange  interest  in  the  teachings 
of  the  Nazarene  prevails  everywhere  and  increasingly 
among  the  children  of  men.  "Are  the  people  fools  ?  " 
as  the  Sanhedrin  said  of  those  that  hung  upon  his 
lips.  Is  the  world  all  wrong  that  it  should  attach 
more  importance  to  a  mere  questionable  fragment  of 
his  sayings  than  to  the  teachings  of  the  sages  ?  Who 
was  this  Jesus  that  all  eyes  should  thus  continually 
be  turned  upon  him  ? 

But  he  comes  nearer  still.  The  problem  is  of  vital 
personal  interest.  He  stands  face  to  face  with  you 
and  me,  asking,  "Who  say  ye  that  I  am?"  The 
personal  factor  will  not  be  eliminated.  If  the  gospel 
is  true,  our  answer  to  his  question  must  determine 


THE    LOGIA.  83 

oar  eternal  destiny.  His  words,  weighty  in  them- 
selves, are  reenforced  by  his  personal  presence. 
When  Lycurgus  had  made  his  memorable  Code,  he 
disappeared  from  Sparta,  alleging  that  his  presence 
would  prevent  the  due  enforcement  of  his  laws.  But 
Jesus  is  ever  present  with  his  word.  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end."  To  receive  his 
sayings  is  not  enough;  he  asks  that  he  himself  may 
be  received  into  our  hearts  as  Prophet,  Priest  and 
King.  The  secret  of  eternal  life  is  not  merely  to  ac- 
cept his  doctrine  as  true,  but  himself  as  the  veritable 
Word  of  God. 


EVERYBODY'S  PREACHER. 

"And  all  bare  him  witness,  and  wondered  at  the  gracious  words  which  pro- 
ceeded out  of  his  mouth."— Luke  4,  22. 

The  people  of  Nazareth  had  assembled  in  unusual 
numbers  at  the  synagogue,  for  it  was  rumored  that 
their  townsman  Jesus  was  to  preach  the  sermon  of 
the  day.  He  had  been  making  an  itinerary  among 
the  villages  of  Galilee  and  the  fame  of  his  miracles 
and  discourses  was  spread  abroad.  The  people  of 
his  native  town  were  most  eager  to  hear  him.  The 
ruler  of  the  synagogue  opened  the  service  with  prayer 
and  then  called  on  two  of  the  elders  to  read  from  the 
sacred  scriptures.  At  this  point  it  was  permitted  to 
invite  any  visitor,  whose  orthodoxy  was  unchallenged, 
to  expound  the  lesson.  This  courtesy  being  extended 
to  Jesus,  he  advanced  to  the  bema.  The  scroll  was 
placed  in  his  hands;  he  unrolled  it  and  read  from  the 
sixty-first  chapter  of  Isaiah  the  lesson  of  the  day: 
' '  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me^  because  he  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  the  broke?i-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind^  to  set  at  liberty 
them  that  are  bruised^  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the 
Lord.'*  The  eyes  of  all  in  the  synagogue  were  now 
fastened  upon  him.  "This  day,"  said  he,  ''is  this 
Scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears."  The  discourse 
which  followed  was  in  demonstration  of  his  own  Mes- 

(84) 


everybody's  preacher.  85 

siahship.  "And  all  bare  him  witness,  and  wondered 
at  the  gracious  words  which  proceeded  out  of  his 
mouth." 

Let  us  emphasize  this  "all",  inasmuch  as  our  pur- 
pose is  to  set  forth  the  adaptation  of  Christ's  teach- 
ing to  the  needs  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  analyze  our  Lord's  dis- 
courses from  a  homiletic  standpoint.  It  could  easily 
be  made  to  appear  that  he  possessed  all  the  elements 
of  true  eloquence;  such  as  simplicity,  directness,  pic- 
turesqueness,  logical  coherence,  warmth,  earnestness 
and  convincing  power.  But  the  quality  which  made 
him  Everybody's  Preacher  was  distinctly  and  exclu- 
sively his  own.  In  the  synagogue  that  day  there  were 
priests,  rabbis,  doctors  of  divinity,  farmers,  vine- 
dressers, handicraftsmen;  and  all  alike  were  spell- 
bound by  his  gracious  words.  You  have,  perhaps, 
seen  a  portrait  wrought  by  a  great  master,  with  eyes 
that  had  the  singular  quality  of  gazing  at  you  wher- 
ever you  went.  A  like  characteristic  we  observe  in 
the  teaching  of  Jesus.  Coleridge  said  :  "  It  finds  me. " 
Indeed,  it  searches  for  and  finds  all  men.  Jesus  was 
able  to  address  himself  to  the  wants  of  the  multitude 
all  and  singular,  for  "he  knew  what  was  in  man." 

He  had  something  to  say  to  the  poor.  And  the  poor  of 
his  time  were  poor  indeed.  We  make  a  distinction 
between  "  God's  poor"  and  the  "devil's  poor."  We 
take  a  sympathetic  interest  in  the  relief  of  such  as  are 
thrifty  and  industrious  but  unfortunate.  Our  Lord, 
however,  had  a  place  in  his  heart  for  the  ne'er-do- 
weels;  for  such  as  are  wandering  our  streets  to-night 
thriftless,  penniless  and  friendless.  There  are  women 
whose   faces   are   sodden  with   drink,   drawing  thin 


86  everybody's  preacher. 

shawls  around  their  shivering  shoulders.  There  are 
men  with  sunken  cheeks  and  watery  eyes,  shuffling 
along  with  hands  stretched  out  for  alms.  Who  cares 
for  them?  O,  it  is  pitiful;  near  a  whole  city  full, 
friends  they  have  none.  They  live  forlorn,  die  un- 
lamented  and  are  buried  without  ceremony  in  the 
potter's  field.  Who  cares  ?  He  cares!  The  heart  of 
Jesus  is  warm  with  pity  toward  them;  his  gospel 
makes  room  for  them;  he  hears  their  helpless  moan, 
their  bitter  cry.  Once  when  he  was  asked  for  his 
Messianic  credentials,  he  replied:  "The  blind  receive 
their  sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed, 
the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  and  the  poor  have 
the  gospel  preached  to  them."  God  be  praised! 
The  meanest  beggar  in  the  world  has  one  true  friend, 
who  tells  him  that  it  is  never  too  late  to  mend,  that 
the  past  may  be  retrieved,  that  penitence  wins  par- 
don and  that  a  man  who  turns  from  his  evil  ways, 
though  poor  as  poverty,  may  be  incalculably  rich  to- 
ward God. 

And  Jesus  had  a  message  for  the  rich.  The  rich  in 
those  days  were  very  rich,  for  the  wealth  of  the 
world  was  concentrated  in  the  hands  of  a  few.  But 
our  Lord  did  not  denounce  them  indiscriminately. 
He  respected  the  rights  of  property.  He  recognized 
the  fact  that  a  man  may  have  abundant  possessions 
and  yet  be  righteous.  But  he  was  no  sycophant. 
When  he  sat  at  the  tables  of  the  wealthy,  his  table- 
talk  was  full  of  plain  truths.  He  warned  them 
against  avarice:  "  It  is  easier,"  said  he,  "  for  a  camel 
to  pass  through  a  needle's  eye,"  than  for  a  man  whose 
heart  is  set  upon  riches  to  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God.       He  told  them  it  was  better  to  part  with  all 


everybody's  preacher.  87 

their  earthly  possessions  than  to  lose  life,  character, 
and  endless  happiness:  ''Go  sell  all  that  thou  hast 
and  give  to  the  poor,"  he  said  to  one  whose  wealth 
was  his  hindrance,  "and  come,  follow  me."  He 
stated  plainly  that  there  were  rich  men  in  hell  and 
poor  men  in  heaven.  He  showed  how  a  man  might 
be  very  respectable,  clothing  himself  in  purple  and 
fine  linen  and  faring  sumptuously  every  day,  and 
still  be  guilty  of  unconscionable  folly.  He  spake 
this  parable  unto  them:  "The  ground  of  a  certain 
rich  man  brought  forth  plentifully;  and  he  thought 
within  himself,  What  shall  I  do,  because  I  have  no 
room  where  to  bestow  my  fruits  ?  And  he  said, 
This  will  I  do:  I  will  pull  down  my  barns  and  build 
greater;  and  there  will  I  bestow  all  my  fruits  and  my 
goods.  And  I  will  say  to  my  soul,  Soul,  thou  hast 
much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years;  take  thine  ease, 
eat,  drink,  and  be  merry.  But  God  said  unto  him, 
Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of 
thee:  then  whose  shall  those  things  be?  So  is  he 
that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself  and  is  not  rich 
toward  God." 

He  had  ?mich  to  say  to  liwkingjnen.  He  was  himself 
a  member  of  the  Third  Estate.  He  knew  what  it  was 
to  shove  the  plane  and  drive  the  saw,  to  grow  weary 
and  wipe  the  perspiration  from  his  brow.  One  word 
of  his,  "The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  has  in  it 
the  possible  solution  of  all  controversies  between 
capital  and  labor.  He  sympathized  with  honest  toil; 
he  knew  the  fret  and  worry  and  fatigue  of  bread-and- 
butter  work ;  and  he  knew  the  proneness  of  the  toiling 
class  to  lose  themselves  in  the  sordid  routine  of  com- 
mon tasks.     He  stands  at  the  door  of  every  workshop 


88  everybody's  preacher. 

saying,  '*0  men  of  labor,  let  your  souls  rise  above 
the  hand-to-mouth  struggle!  Be  in  your  labor,  yet 
not  of  it.  Be  not  unmindful  of  higher  service;  give 
room  to  nobler  aspiration."  He  stands  in  the  midst 
of  the  common  people  as  he  stood  among  them  on  the 
slopes  of  Olivet  and  urges  the  lesson  of  the  life  of 
trust:  *'  Take  no  anxious  thought  for  your  life,  what 
ye  shall  eat  or  what  ye  shall  drink;  neither  for  the 
body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  For  the  life  is  more  than 
meat  and  the  body  than  raiment.  Behold  the  fowls 
of  the  air:  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap,  nor 
gather  into  barns;  yet  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth 
them.  Are  ye  not  much  better  than  they  ?  And 
consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow;  they 
toil  not,  they  spin  not;  and  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of 
these.  If  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field,  shall 
he  not  much  more  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  ? 
Take,  therefore,  no  thought  for  the  morrow.  But 
seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteous- 
ness and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." 
He  had  a  message  f 07'  the  wise.  Sharp  was  his  rebuke 
to  those  who  were  wise  in  their  own  conceit.  Some 
of  the  Doctors  of  Divinity  in  those  days  were  deeply 
concerned  in  such  questions  as,  ''How  many  steps 
are  there  in  a  Sabbath  day's  journey?"  They  were 
sophists,  splitters  of  hairs.  "Woe  unto  you,  blind 
leaders  of  the  blind,"  he  cried;  "ye  have  taken  away 
the  key  of  knowledge!  Ye  stand  in  the  doorway  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  refusing  to  pass  in  yourselves 
and  blocking  the  way  of  honester  people  who  fain 
would  enter  in."  But  others  of  these  Doctors  were 
not    "sophoi,''    but   "  philosophoi,"   that   is,   honest 


everybody's  preacher.  89 

seekers  after  truth ;  and  he  gave  them  great  truths  to 
ponder  on.  To  one  such  who  visited  him  under  cover 
of  the  night,  he  announced  the  great  doctrine  of  Re- 
generation, evoking  the  response,  "  How  can  these 
things  be  ?  "  Whereupon  he  followed  it  with  a  greater 
doctrine,  *'  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  his 
only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  If  Nico- 
demus  was  in  quest  of  sublimities  and  profundities, 
here  indeed  was  something  to  think  of.  When  that 
eminent  Rabbi  left  the  home  of  Jesus,  bewildered 
and  wondering,  the  great  ocean  of  unfathomable 
truth  was  rolling  before  him. 

He  had  a  message  also  for  the  si?nple.  He  took  a  child 
upon  his  knee  and  said,  *'  Except  ye  become  as  little 
children  in  your  attitude  toward  truth,  ye  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  the  kingdom  of  God."  On  another  occa- 
sion he  lifted  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  said,  "  I  thank 
thee,  O  Father,  that  thou  hast  concealed  these  things 
from  the  wise  and  prudent  and  hast  revealed  them 
unto  babes,"  The  truths  which  were  announced  by 
this  great  Teacher  were  indeed  so  profound  that  the 
wise  may  ponder  on  them  forever,  and  yet  so  simple 
that  the  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err 
in  this  heavenly  thoroughfare. 

He  preached  God, — the  profoundest  of  truths;  yet 
the  most  unwise  and  unlettered  can  say,  "Abba  Fa- 
ther." He  preached  sin, — an  awful  fact,  a  theme  of 
protracted  theological  controversy,  yet  present  to  the 
personal  conscience  of  the  humblest.  For  who  does 
not  know  that  he  has  sinned  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God  ?  He  preached  salvation, — a  matter  of 
long  dispute   in   the    schools    of  philosophy — yet  in 


90  EVERYBODY  S    PREACHER. 

such  terms  that  no  man  can  excuse  himself  for  not 
apprehending  it.  "As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in 
the  wilderness,"  said  he,  "even  so  must  the  Son  of 
Man  be  lifted  up  "  in  the  anguish  of  vicarious  death, 
"that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  may  have  everlasting 
life."  Look  and  live!  There  is  life  for  a  look  at  the 
crucified  One.  Love  and  faith  are  the  two  arms  with 
which  a  child  embraces  its  mother.  Love  and  faith 
are  within  the  comprehension  of  all.  Love  and  faith 
are  the  two  prerequisites  to  pardon  and  the  endless  life. 

So  the  doctrines  that  Jesus  preached  are  indeed  an 
ocean  on  the  shore  of  which  the  sages  stand  dreaming 
dreams  and  seeing  visions  and  losing  themselves  in 
contemplation  of  its  depths;  but  little  children  play- 
along  the  beach,  laughing  and  making  merry,  and  the 
great  ocean  murmurs  about  them  and  laves  their  feet. 

He  had  a  message  for  douhte7's  too.  He  lived  in  an 
age  of  doubt.  The  Jews  were  weary  of  an  empty 
liturgical  service,  and  the  gods  of  the  Pantheon  had 
lost  their  hold  on  the  minds  of  the  people.  There 
were  agnostics  who  said  like  Pliny  the  elder,  "There 
is  only  one  thing  certain,  namely,  that  there  is  no- 
thing certain."  There  were  others  who,  with  a  des- 
perate abandon,  lent  themselves  to  an  utter  denial  of 
all  truth.  Such  was  Pilate,  who,  with  a  curling  of 
the  lip,  asked  of  Jesus,  "  What  is  truth?  "  The  great 
Master  cast  no  pearls  before  him  ;  he  answered  not  a 
word.  But  there  w^ere  others  still  who,  having  lost 
their  bearings,  longed  to  know.  One  such  went  wan- 
dering in  the  darkness,  after  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus, 
like  a  blind  man  groping  along  the  wall.  Poor 
Thomas!  His  best  Friend  was  dead,  his  fondest 
hopes  were  crushed.      He  had  heard  in  a  roundabout 


EVERYBODY  S    PREACHER. 


91 


way  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  but  he  was  incredu- 
lous; it  was  indeed  too  good  to  believe.  For  all 
such  doubters,  grieving  by  reason  of  their  unbelief 
and  eager  to  learn,  the  Master  has  infinite  sympathy 
and  consideration  :  "  Then  saith  he  to  Thomas,  Reach 
hither  thy  finger  and  behold  my  hands,  and  reach 
hither  thy  hand  and  thrust  it  into  my  side;  and  be 
not  faithless,  but  believing.  And  Thomas  answered 
and  said  unto  him,  My  Lord  and  my  God!"  O 
doubting  friend,  reach  forth  and  lay  thy  hand  upon 
his  wounds.  Touch  Jesus!  To  know  him, to  commune 
with  him,  is  to  believe.  All  doubt  vanishes  when 
the  light  of  his  countenance  shines  upon  us. 

And  he  had  much  to  say  to  believers.      What  a  high 
ideal  of  character  he  sets  before  them!      *'  Be  ye  per- 
fect; be  ye  holy,   for  God   is  holy."      And   what  a 
searching  word  as  to  their  influence!     "Ye  are  the 
salt  of  the  earth;  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savor^ 
wherewith  shall  it  be  salted  ?  it  is  thenceforth  good 
for  nothing  but   to  be  cast  out  and  trodden  under 
foot  of  men.     Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world;  let  your 
light  so  shine  before  men   that   they  may  see   your 
good  works  and  glorify  God."     And  what  frequent 
and  urgent  exhortation  to  usefulness!     "  Say  not.  It 
is  yet  four  months  and    then  cometh   the   harvest. 
Lift  up  your  eyes  and  see  that  the  fields  are  white  al- 
ready unto  the  harvest.     Thrust  in  your  sickles  and 
reap!"     The  barren  fig-tree,  the  parable  of  the  tal- 
ents, the  stumbling-block  and  the  millstone,  the  great 
commission,  all  these  are  for  believers.     His  standard 
of  Christian  living  is  very  high:    "If  any  man  will 
come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 
cross  and  follow  me." 


92  EVERYBODY  S    PREACHER. 

And  most  seaj'ching  of  all  was  his  message  to  hypocrites. 
This  comes  to  all  who  are  living  under  a  mask.  He 
saw  them  ostentatiously  flinging  their  golden  offer- 
ings into  the  trumpet-shaped  mouths  of  Corban  ;  and 
when  a  poor  v/idow  came  by,  modestly  dropping  in 
two  farthings,  he  said,  "Behold,  she  hath  given  more 
than  they  all."  He  saw  them  wearing  long  robes, 
with  broad  phylacteries,  and  frontlets  between  their 
eyes,  standing  on  the  corner  of  the  streets  and  mak- 
ing long  prayers  in  order  to  be  seen  and  heard  of 
men;  whereupon  he  said,  "Two  men  went  up  to  the 
temple  to  pray;  the  one  a  Pharisee  and  the  other  a 
publican.  And  the  Pharisee  prayed  thus  with  him- 
self, God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men 
are.  But  the  publican  stood  afar  off,  not  daring  to 
lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but  beating 
on  his  breast  and  crying,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner,  I  say  unto  you,  This  man  went  down  to  his 
house  justified  rather  than  the  other."  His  message 
to  all  pretenders  is  this :  Be  what  you  seem ;  be  honest 
as  the  light!  God  sees  you  through  and  through;  all 
things  are  naked  and  open  before  him.  Off  with  your 
masks,  off  with  your  disguises  !  "  Woe  unto  you 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites;  ye  are  as  whited 
sepulchres,  fair  without,  but  within  full  of  dead  men's 
bones  and  all  uncleanness."  And  to  the  people  he 
said,  "  Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall 
in  no  wise  enter  the  kingdom  of  God." 

But  sweetest^  tenderest  and  most  helpful  was  his  word  to 
the  sorroiving.  "Blessed  are  ye  that  mourn,  for  ye 
shall  be  comforted."  In  those  days  when  the  dream 
of  immortality  had  grown  thin  and  tenuous  and  the 


EVERYBODY  S    PREACHER.  93 

bereaved  were  almost  without  hope,  he  stood  beside 
the  open  grave  saying,  ''lam  the  resurrection  and 
the  life.  He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were 
dead,  yet  shall  he  live.  And  he  that  liveth  and  be- 
lieveth in  me  shall  never  die."  He  bade  them  lift  up 
their  eyes  from  the  darkness  of  the  grave  to  the  open 
heavens :  "In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions ; 
if  it  were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you.  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you."  There  is  to  be  a  glorious 
reunion  of  saints  in  the  better  life.  The  parting  here 
is  not  "Farewell,"  but  ^^Auf  wiedersehen.''  Death 
does  not  end  all. 

Most  of  all,  he  spake  to  sinjiers.  He  came  to  de- 
liver them  from  the  shame  and  penalty  of  their  sins. 
The  reproach  of  his  enemies  was,  "He  is  the  friend 
of  publicans  and  sinners."  His  defense  was,  "I  am 
come  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost."  He  was  not 
ashamed  to  converse  with  the  adulterous  woman  of 
Samaria  by  the  well  of  Sychar  at  high  noon,  though 
he  knew  that  the  finger  of  every  passer-by  would  be 
pointed  at  him.  He  perceived  that  her  sin-stricken 
heart  was  longing  for  pardon  and  restoration  to  pur- 
ity, and  he  put  the  cup  of  living  w^ater  to  her  thirsty 
lips.  His  whole  ministry  was  passed  in  seeking  the 
lost.  The  love  of  the  great  Father  has  never  been  so 
wonderfully  set  forth  as  in  his  three  great  parables: 
a  woman  with  a  lighted  candle  seeks  anxiously  a  lost 
coin;  a  shepherd  with  lantern  in  hand  goes  out  on 
the  dark  mountains  after  the  lost  sheep;  a  father 
looks  longingly  toward  the  hills  over  which  his  way- 
ward son  went  long  ago  to  waste  his  substance  in 
riotous  living,  and  when  he  sees  him  returning,  in 
rags  and  tatters,  he  goes  forth  to  meet  him  while  he 


94  EVERYBODY  S    PREACHER. 

is  yet  a  great  way  off,  and  falls  upon  his  neck  and 
kisses  him.  This  is  the  message  of  Jesus  to  sinners: 
The  only-begotten  Son  of  God  has  come  forth  to  seek 
them.  His  last  miracle  as  he  hung  upon  the  cross 
in  anguish  was  to  save  a  malefactor  who,  grieving 
over  a  misspent  life,  was  dying  by  his  side:  "  To-day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise."  So  he  proves 
himself  willing  to  save,  eager  to  save,  able  to  save, 
even  unto  the  uttermost.  He  is  indeed  the  friend  of 
sinners.      He  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sin. 

Finally  he  had  a  fjies  sage  for  hearer's  j  forsuch  as  have 
long  listened  to  the  truth,  yet  not  heeded  it.  You, 
perhaps,  have  been  familiar  with  the  gospel  since  the 
day  when,  at  your  mother's  knee,  you  heard  the  old, 
old  story.  You  have  listened  in  the  sanctuary  again 
and  again  to  appeals  and  exhortations.  You  have 
read  your  Bibles  over  and  over  and  seen  the  blood- 
stained face  of  the  Redeemer  on  every  page  and 
heard  his  voice  saying,  "Come  unto  me  and  I  will 
give  you  rest."  To  you  and  all  others  whose  ears 
have  been  dulled  and  whose  hearts  have  been  har- 
dened by  long  hearing,  he  addresses  this  faithful  ad- 
monition:  "  Whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine  and 
doeth  thetn^  I  will  liken  him  unto  a  wise  man  which  built 
his  house  upon  a  rock;  and  the  rain  descended  and  the 
floods  came^  and  the  winds  blew  and  beat  upon  that  house  j 
and  it  fell  not :  for  it  was  built  upon  a  rock.  And  every 
one  that  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine  and  doeth  them  not^ 
shall  be  likeiied  unto  a  foolish  man^  who  built  his  house 
upon  the  sand :  and  the  rain  descended^  and  the  floods  cafne^ 
and  the  winds  blew  and  beat  upoit  that  house  ;  ajid  it  fell : 
and  great  was  the  fall  of  it. " 

He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 


WHAT  THE  LAW  COULD  NOT  DO. 

"What  the  law  could  not  do  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh." — 
Rom.  8,  3. 

A  great  problem  is  before  the  mind  of  Paul;  to 
wit,  ''Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this 
death?"  As  for  himself,  he  had  practically  solved 
that  problem  in  coming  to  Christ;  but  there  were 
multitudes  of  others  who  were  still  in  despair  under 
the  bondage  of  the  law.  He  w^astes  no  breath  in 
convincing  them  of  sin  or  of  sure  retribution;  he  as- 
sumes the  ''certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment." 
His  own  conception  of  guilt  is  that  of  a  corpse  bound 
to  a  culprit's  neck.  This  was  the  most  dreadful  form 
of  punishment  knowm  in  ancient  times. 

"  The  living  and  the  dead,  at  his  command, 
Were  coupled  face  to  face  and  hand  to  hand, 
'Till,  choked  with  stench,  in  loathed  embraces  tied, 
The  lingering  wretches  pined  away  and  died." 

The  true  character  of  sin — its  shame,  its  bondage,  its 
terrific  possibilities — are  present  at  one  time  or  an- 
other to  the  consciousness  of  every  man.  But  how  to 
be  delivered  ?  There's  the  question.  "  O  wretched 
man  that  I  am!  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  death  ?  " 

To  this  problem  there  are  two  possible  solutions, 
and  only  two:  one  says,  "  Keep  the  law  and  live  by 

(95) 


g6  WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO. 

it"  ;  the  other  says,  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  There  is  no  other  alterna- 
tive. A  man  is  either  in  bondage  under  the  law,  or 
else  he  is  under  grace,  abiding  in  the  glorious  liberty 
of  the  children  of  God. 

A  lot  of  rough  fellows  were  giving  their  testimony 
in  the  Seaman's  Bethel  a  few  evenings  ago,  when  one 
arose  and  said,  "I  have  no  need  of  Christ  or  his  gos- 
pel. I  am  a  moral  man  and  try  to  do  right  as  near 
as  possible.  That's  enough  for  me.  I  am  willing  to 
take  my  chances  with  the  rest  of  you  at  the  judgment 
bar  of  God. "  No  doubt  there  are  many  who,  although 
they  may  not  express  themselves  so  frankly,  are  of 
like  mind  and  living  in  the  same  way. 

To  such  persons  the  apostle  addresses  his  argument 
as  to  the  futility  of  hoping  for  salvation  under  law. 
He  was  entitled  to  speak  on  this  subject;  for  he  had 
earned  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Jerusalem,  as  a  pupil  of  the  great  Gamaliel, 
who  was  called  "The  Flower  of  the  Law."  He 
speaks  of  himself  as  having  been  a  Pharisee  of  the 
straitest  sect.  His  business  as  a  rabbi  was  to  expound 
the  law,  and  the  purpose  of  his  life  had  been  to  ob- 
serve the  law,  in  its  most  minute  particulars,  in  the 
hope  of  thus  attaining  to  the  endless  life.  He  had 
measured  his  prayers  and  counted  them,  as  a  nun 
tells  the  beads  of  her  rosary.  He  had  paid  tithes, 
fasted  oft,  done  penance  and  addressed  himself  to 
good  works  with  the  utmost  scrupulosity.  But  one 
day  on  the  high  road  to  Damascus  his  eyes  were 
opened;  he  saw  that  his  merit-making  w^as  labor  lost; 
a  great  light  shone  into  his  soul  and  a  voice  said,  "  I 
am  Jesus!"     From  that  moment  he  was  no  more  a 


WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO.  97 

legalist,  but  a  believer  in  grace.  He  trusted  in  Christ 
for  salvation.  Grace  became  his  sign-manual.  His 
usual  greeting  was,  '*  Grace  be  unto  you." 

His  Epistle  to  the  Romans  is  distinctively  addressed 
to  legalists.  In  it  the  apostle  undertakes  to  put  the 
law  on  a  right  footing.  His  proposition  is,  *'  By  the 
deeds  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified,"  and  his 
Quod  erat  demonstrandum  is  the  mighty  truth  which  was 
sung  by  Wesley, 

"  I'm  a  poor  sinner  and  nothing  at  all. 
But  Jesus  Christ  is  my  all  in  all." 

The  apostle  here  vindicates  the  law  as  efficient  for 
its  proper  uses.  "The  law  is  good,"  he  says;  and 
again,  "  The  law  is  spiritual;"  and  again,  "  The  law 
is  holy  and  the  commandment  is  holy  and  just  and 
good."  But  there  are  certain  things  which  the  law 
cannot  do.  It  has  its  proper  functions;  but  too  much 
must  not  be  required  of  it.  Water  quenches  thirst 
but  cannot  satisfy  hunger.  A  millstone  is  a  good 
thing  in  its  place,  but  we  shall  probably  agree  £hat  a 
millstone  is  not  a  good  thing  to  be  tied  about  a  man's 
neck  when  he  is  learning  to  swim.  To  everything  its 
proper  uses. 

Certain  things  the  law  can  and  does  accomplish: — 
I.  The  law  expresses  the  mind  of  God.  It  is  written : 
**No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time."  If  you  wish 
to  form  a  just  conception  of  some  one  you  have  never 
seen,  you  make  inquiry  as  to  his  voice,  his  features, 
his  moral  and  mental  characteristics.  We  proceed  in 
like  manner  in  '*  finding  out  God."  There  are  voices 
in  nature  and  in  providence  to  help  us;  but  nowhere 
shall  we  get  so  clear  a  delineation  of  the  divine  char- 
acter as  at  Sinai.     The  precepts  and  principles  here 


98  WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO. 

enunciated  give  a  clear  outline  of  his  nature  and  attri- 
butes; they  speak  of  his  justice,  his  righteousness, 
his  truth.  And  the  one  clear,  composite  impression 
which  we  receive  from  the  Decalogue  is  that  the  Lord 
is  a  holy  God. 

II.  The  law  declares  the  whole  duty  of  man.  As  we  are 
made  after  God's  image,  our  highest  attainment  is 
Godliness;  that  is,  Godlikeness.  The  precepts  that 
set  forth  the  divine  character  furnish  by  the  same 
token  the  perfect  rule  of  human  behavior.  "Be  ye 
holy,  saith  the  Lord,  for  I  am  holy." 

It  is  a  noteworth)^  fact  that  the  Ten  Commandments 
are  universally  recognized  as  a  perfect  code.  Men 
scoff  at  Christ,  at  the  gospel,  at  the  inerrant  Scrip- 
tures; but  there  is  a  general  consensus  as  to  the  fault- 
less character  of  the  Decalogue.  What  a  Paradise 
our  world  would  be  if  only  men  everywhere  would 
obey  it! 

III.  The  law  draws  up  an  indictment  against  all  who 
violate  it.  It  shows  a  man  his  natural  face  as  in  a 
glass.  He  who  comes  to  the  flaming  mountain  with 
a  mind  free  from  prejudice,  is  certain  to  be  filled  with 
fear  and  trembling ;  * '  for  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge 
of  sin." 

A  young  man  was  lately  arrested  and  tried  for 
forgery.  He  made  an  earnest  plea  in  his  own  behalf, 
alleging  his  former  good  character.  The  court  was 
disposed  to  deal  leniently  with  him.  The  officer  who 
made  the  arrest  said,  "Your  Honor,  if  you  will  wait 
a  moment,  I  think  I  can  convince  you  of  the  true 
character  of  this  man."  He  went  to  the  Rogue's 
Gallery  and  came  back  presently  with  a  picture  of  a 
youth    wearing   a   striped   jacket  and  with    his  hair 


WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO.  99 

cropped  short.  It  was  this  same  innocent-looking 
prisoner  at  the  bar.  Ail  men  are  put  to  shame  in  like 
manner  by  the  testimony  of  the  moral  law.  It  takes 
a  ''  snap-shot  "  at  every  one  of  us  a  hundred  times  a 
day,  and  always  with  the  same  result;  it  catches  us 
invariably  in  the  overt  act  of  sin. 

IV.  The  laiv  pronounces  sentence  upon  us.  *'  The  soul 
that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."  We  are  said  to  be  ''con- 
demned already."  In  this  matter  the  law  works 
automatically.  To  be  sure,  by  reason  of  his  justice, 
God  must  ratify  its  action;  but  if  it  w^ere  conceivable 
that  God  should  cease  to  be  while  the  law  continued, 
the  result  would  be  precisely  the  same.  For  sin  and 
penalty  are  yoked  together  as  cause  and  effect. 

How  can  we  be  so  stolid  and  unconcerned  in  the 
face  of  such  tremendous  truths  ?  Do  we  call  them  in 
question?  Or,  can  we  evade  their  logical  conclusions? 
So  did  Belshazzar  feel  secure  in  his  festal  hall.  He 
knew  that  a  hostile  army  surrounded  his  city;  but 
had  he  not  laid  in  provision  for  twenty  years  ?  On 
with  the  feast  !  All  over  the  walls  were  cuneiform 
inscriptions  to  his  glory.  His  wives  and  concubines 
were  about  him  and  a  thousand  of  his  lords.  "  Bring 
the  sacred  vessels  that  my  royal  father  took  from  the 
Jewish  Temple  !  "  It  was  done.  The  revelers  drank 
deep  from  the  sacramental  cups.  But  on  a  sudden 
the  king's  face  was  blanched  with  terror  and  his  knees 
smote  together.  Yonder  on  the  wall  were  spectral 
fingers  writing.  Bring  the  seers,  the  astrologers,  and 
let  them  interpret!  MENE,  MENE,  TEKEL;  "Thou 
art  weighed  in  the  balances  and  art  found  wanting." 
And,  UPHARSIN  1  What  means  Upharsin  ?  "Thy 
kingdom  is  divided  and  given  away!  " 


lOO  WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO. 

This  is  the  message  of  the  law  to  every  man  : 
**  Weighed  and  found  wanting,"  and  "Thy  kingdom 
is  rent  from  thee."  Shall  the  matter  end  here  ?  Shall 
the  law  take  its  course?  Shall  the  sentence  be  execu- 
ted ?  "He  that  doeth  the  law  shall  live  by  it,  and  he 
that  disobeyeth  shall  die  by  it." 

We  have  seen  what  the  law  can  do  and  does.  Let 
us  turn  now  to  the  other  side  and  inquire  what  the 
law  cannot  do. 

Fi7'st^  it  caii7iot  compel  obedience.  It  has  to  deal  with 
men  who  are  possessed  of  independent  wills.  Had 
men  been  created  otherwise  than  with  moral  freedom, 
they  would  have  been  no  more  capable  of  positive 
character  than  stocks  or  stones  or  graven  images  or 
hitching-posts.  But  moral  freedom  involves  the 
power  to  do  right  or  wrong  at  pleasure.  The  law 
says,  "Thoushalt";  a  man  can  answer,  "I  will  not." 
And  the  awful  calamity  is  that  we  all  by  nature  are 
disposed  to  antagonize  the  law.  This  is  not  the  time 
for  a  discussion  on  depravity  ;  let  it  suffice  to  call 
attention  to  the  universal  fact.  We  would  rather 
break  than  keep  the  law.  Did  you  ever  see  a  sign, 
"No  Trespassing,"  without  feeling  inclined  on  the 
instant  to  climb  the  fence  and  cross  that  particular 
field? 

It  is  not  the  law's  fault  that  it  cannot  enforce 
itself.  The  words  of  the  apostle  are,  "  What  the  lav/ 
could  not  do  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh," 
that  is,  by  reason  of  our  infirmity.  As  I  passed  along 
Nassau  Street  yesterday  in  dreamy  mood,  I  heard  a 
voice  say,  "Please  help  me  over."  A  blind  man 
stood  helpless  on  the  corner,  waiting  for  some  one  of 
the  thronging  multitude  to  lead  him  over  the  cross- 


WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO.  lOI 

ing.  I  took  his  arm ;  and  as  we  passed  on,  I  observed 
that  his  eyes  were  wide  open  and  uplifted.  The  sun 
shone  brightly;  the  light  had  all  its  usual  potency; 
but,  alas!  it  was  weak  through  his  flesh.  Had  I  led 
that  man  to  the  best  of  our  opticians  and  said,  "  Give 
him  spectacles, "  he  would  have  replied,  "My  services 
are  of  no  value  in  this  case;  I  can  do  nothing  for 
him."  So  is  it  with  the  law.  It  is  intrinsically 
mighty,  but  utterly  disabled  in  the  case  of  a  wilful 
man. 

Secondly,  //  cannot  ignore  sin.  Here  again  it  works 
automatically,  as  if  it  were  a  machine  made  of  levers 
and  wheels.  It  has  no  heart  to  pity,  otherwise  it 
would  not  be  law.  It  is  all  eyes.  It  must  take  cog- 
nizance of  every  sin. 

And  here  is  a  startling  fact — you  may  resent  it, 
but  the  logic  is  beyond  all  peradventure — "Whoso- 
ever shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and  yet  offend  in  one 
point,  he  is  guilty  of  all. "  There  is  a  manifest  reason 
for  this.  A  chain  is  measured  by  the  strength  of  its 
weakest  link.  A  ship  held  by  an  iron  cable  is,  if  one 
link  be  broken,  at  the  mercy  of  the  storm.  In  order 
to  break  the  electric  connection  between  America  and 
the  British  Isles,  it  is  not  necessary  to  destroy  the 
whole  submarine  cable;  cut  out  one  inch  and  you 
break  the  circuit.  If  you  would  wreck  a  train  on  the 
New  York  Central,  do  not  take  the  trouble  to  tear 
up  the  track  clear  from  New  York  to  Albany;  dig 
under  a  single  rail  at  Garrison's  and  the  thing  is 
done.  So  is  it  with  the  strength  of  the  moral  law  as 
a  saving  power.  "He  that  keepeth  it  shall  live  by 
it";  but  a  single  sin  breaks  the  charm.  It  makes  a 
man  a  sinner,  arrays  him  against  the  law,  and  brings 


I02  WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO. 

him  under  the  penalty:  "The  soul  that  sinneth  it 
shall  die." 

Thirdly,  the  law  cannot  absolve  from  sin.  It  cannot 
pardon.  Hence  the  proverb,  "Relentless  as  law." 
It  cannot  make  allowances  or  receive  excuses.  It  is 
vain  for  us  to  stand  at  Sinai  and  say,  "I  did  not 
think,"  or,  "  I  did  not  intend,"  or,  "  I  will  never  do 
it  again."  The  law  turns  neither  to  the  right  hand 
nor  to  the  left,  but  moves  straight  on. 

It  was  a  true  word  that  Anne  of  Austria  said  to 
Richelieu:  "My  Lord  Cardinal,  there  is  one  fact 
which  you  seem  to  have  entirely  forgotten:  the  law 
of  Jehovah  is  a  sure  paymaster;  it  may  not  be  at  the 
end  of  every  day  or  month,  but  I  charge  you,  my 
Lord,  to  remember  this,  the  law  sooner  or  later  is  a 
sure  paymaster! " 

Fourthly,  therefore  the  law  cannot  save.  The  one 
thing  which  we  require  of  it  is  absolutely  impossible. 
It  can  justify  no  flesh.  It  is  written,  "We  are  all 
concluded  under  sin."  The  word  "concluded  "  here 
means  literally  "shut  up."  We  are  all  in  prison  con- 
demned and  awaiting  the  execution  of  our  sentence. 
The  law  can  do  many  things  for  us  in  this  emergency: 
it  can  bring  us  food  and  water,  nosegays  and  books 
to  read;  it  can  promise  us  a  decent  burial;  it  can  buy 
us  a  shroud,  a  black  cap  and  a  beautiful  silken  rope 
for  our  neck;  it  can  promise  a  eulogy  and  a  Latin 
epitaph;  it  can  do  everything  but  the  one  thing  need- 
ful,— it  cannot  open  the  doors,,  it  cannot  let  us  out 
into  freedom  and  light.  At  this  point,  if  we  are  rea- 
sonable men,  we  cry  for  a  kind  of  help  which  the  law 
cannot  give  us. 

And  yet  the  law  is  not  impotent  at  this  juncture. 


WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO.  I03 

In  mentioning  what  it  could  do,  I  designedly  omitted 
one  thing ;  namely,  ' '  The  law  is  a  schoolmaster  to  lead 
us  to  Christ.''  It  cannot  save,  but  it  can  point  us  to 
the  Saviour.  It  cannot  save,  but  it  can  terrify  us 
with  its  lightnings  and  thunders  until  we  flee  from 
the  flaming  mountain  to  the  mountain  that  is  stained 
with  blood.  Here  the  Merciful  One  hangs  upon  the 
cross,  the  Mighty  to  Save. 

**  O  safe  and  happy  shelter, 
O  refuge  tried  and  sweet; 
O  trysting-place  where  Heaven's  love 
And  Heaven's  justice  meet! 

There  lies  beneath  its  shadow, 

But  on  the  further  side, 
The  darkness  of  an  awful  grave 

That  gapes  both  deep  and  wide. 

And  there  between  us  stands  the  Cross. 

Two  arms  outstretch  to  save. 
Like  a  watchman  set  to  guard  the  way 

From  that  eternal  grave." 

'  *  For  what  the  law  could  7zot  do  in  that  it  was  weak 
through  the  fleshy  God  se tiding  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness 
of  sinful  fleshy  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh;  that 
the  righteous7tess  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us. "  He 
bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.  He  that 
believeth  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved. 
The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin. 

You  must  take  your  choice,  my  friend.  You  must! 
You  must  live  either  under  the  law  or  under  grace. 
You  must  go  on  in  a  hopeless  endeavor  to  work  your 
way  to  everlasting  life,  or  you  must  trust  in  Jesus  and 
let  him  save  you.  Does  your  pride  stand  in  the  way? 
An  infidel  once  said,  "I  tell  you  frankly,  I  am  not 


104  WHAT    THE    LAW    COULD    NOT    DO. 

willing  to  be  saved  gratis.''  But  grace  is  gratuity. 
The  unspeakable  gift  of  God  is  without  money  and 
without  price.  "Only  believe."  If  you  are  ever 
saved,  you  must  be  saved  that  way. 

As  Napoleon  rode  through  the  Rue  de  Rivoli, 
returning  from  the  front  with  his  victorious  army,  a 
young  girl  ran  out  of  the  crowd  and  threw  herself 
before  his  horse's  feet.  "Mercy,  sire!"  she  cried. 
"  What  will  you,  my  daughter  ?  "  he  said  kindly.  "O 
sire!  mercy  for  my  father;  he  is  the  officer  whom  you 
have  sentenced  to  death  for  treason."  The  face  of 
Napoleon  hardened.  "Your  father  shall  have  jus- 
tice," he  replied.  At  that  saying,  her  fervor  in- 
creased :  "O  sire,  not  justice,  but  mercy!  Justice 
means  death!  Mercy!  mercy,  sire!"  And  this, 
friends,  is  the  only  plea  that  a  sinner  can  offer  before 
God.  Justice  means  death.  Law  means  shame  and 
despair  forever.  Let  us  beat  upon  our  breasts  and 
make  our  plea,  "God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner!  " 
And  he  who  is  able  to  save  even  unto  the  uttermost 
will  hear  and  answer  us. 


"I  THIRST." 

{A  Sacramental  Meditation) 

"  After  this  Jesus,  knowing  that  all  things  were  now  accomplished,  that  the 
Scripture  might  be  fultilled,  saith,  I  thirst."— John  19,  28. 

This  is  the  shortest  of  the  "Seven  Sayings  on  the 
Cross."  It  is  as  brief  and  simple  as  the  wail  of  a 
little  child.  The  chronicler  makes  no  comment,  at- 
tempts no  explanation.  This  is  characteristic  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  Had  our  sensational  journals  been 
an  institution  of  that  time,  there  would  have  been  a 
very  different  report  of  this  singular  event.  What 
head  lines!  What  prolixity  and  particularity!  What 
surmises  and  suggestions  and  hypotheses!  What 
harrowing  delineation  of  the  death  anguish;  the 
blanching  face,  the  fever-bursting  eyes,  the  parched 
lips!  Bat  there  is  nothing  of  this  in  the  sacred  nar- 
rative.     "After  this  Jesus  saith,  I  thirst." 

Yet  the  person  and  work  of  Christ  are  comprehen- 
sively set  forth  in  this  pathetic  cry. 

I.  It  represents  him  as  the  perfect  Son  of  God.  We 
also  are  called  sons  of  God,  but  in  a  lesser  and  lower 
sense.  He  is  the  divine,  the  coequal,  the  eternal,  the 
only-begotten  and  well-beloved  Son. 

At  his  baptism,  "He  went  up  straightway  out  of 
the  water;  and,  lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto 
him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  like  a 

(105) 


Io6  *'  I    THIRST." 

dove  and  lighting  upon  him:  and,  lo,  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying.  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased."  No  such  word  was  ever  spoken 
of  a  mere  man.  No  such  distinguishing  praise  was 
ever  addressed  to  any  creature  whose  breath  is  in  his 
nostrils.  Why  was  the  Father  so  well  pleased  with 
Jesus  ?  Not  only  because  of  that  peculiar  filial  relation 
which  he  sustained  to  the  Father  in  the  eternal  genera- 
tion, but  because  he  alone  lived  up  to  the  full  measure 
of  the  divine  plan.  All  his  earthly  life  was  fulfilment ; 
it  had  been  predicted  in  its  minutest  particulars.  The 
Old  Testament  is  full  of  the  prophetic  forecast;  his 
birth,  the  time  and  place  of  it,  his  humble  environ- 
ment, his  ministry,  the  manner  of  his  death,  the  part- 
ing of  his  raiment,  the  piercing  of  his  side,  his  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  his  ascension.  All  these  may 
be  read  in  the  glowing  hierogram  which  runs  through 
revelation  like  a  golden  thread.  And  the  life  of 
Jesus,  like  an  indenture,  fitted  at  every  point  and 
in  every  way  into  this  eternal  plan. 

Here  is  the  significance  of  these  words,  "That  the 
Scripture  might  be  fulfilled."  It  had  been  written  a 
thousand  years  before  in  the  sixty-ninth  Psalm:  "  In 
my  thirst  they  gave  me  vinegar  to  drink."  Even  in 
this  particular  he  must  meet  the  prophetic  manifest; 
wherefore,  he  cried,  "I  thirst!" 

All  lives  are  divinely  marked  out.  God  has  great 
purposes  concerning  each  of  us.  And  the  best  hu- 
man life  is  that  which  measures  itself  by  the  eternal 
purpose.  But,  alas!  we  all  come  short.  The  best  of 
God's  children  is  a  disappointment  to  him.  It  is 
written  of  the  human  race,  whom  God  had  intended 
to   be   a   holy,   harmless   and   undefiled   people,   that 


*'  I    THIRST.  107 

when  they  had  corrupted  their  way  upon  the  earth 
and  filled  it  with  violence,  ''it  repented  Jehovah  that 
he  had  made  man  on  the  earth,  and  it  grieved  him  at 
his  heart."  Who  shall  adequately  depict  the  paren- 
tal sorrow  and  disappointment  which  is  suggested  in 
those  words  ?  And  of  all  the  descendants  of  Adam 
there  has  never  been  one  who  has  come  up  to  the  high 
level  of  the  Father's  purpose  concerning  him;  not 
one  who  can  say,  "My  Father,  I  am  what  thou  in- 
tendedst  me  to  be";  not  one  who  can  say,  "I  have 
finished  the  work  thou  gavest  me  to  do."  But  this 
should  be  our  supreme  ambition ;  as  it  is  written, 
'•Work  out  your  own  salvation."  Not  salvation  in 
its  narrow  sense,  to  wit,  a  mere  deliverance  from 
eternal  fire,  but  that  larger  salvation  which  takes  in 
all  manhood  and  character,  all  influence  and  useful- 
ness. Hew  to  the  line,  my  brother.  Work  out  your 
own  salvation  to  the  very  uttermost.  Work  it  out ! 
Come  up  to  the  full  measure  of  the  divine  plan. 
"Work  out  your  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling, 
for  it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you." 

II.  In  the  cry,  "  I  thirst!  "  we  note  also  the  setting 
forth  of  Jesus  as  the  perfect  So7i  of  Alan.  It  is  "the 
cry  of  the  human."  In  our  contemplation  of  Jesus 
we  must  never  lose  sight  of  his  perfect  humanity. 
No  heresy  is  more  disastrous  to  our  faith  than  that 
of  the  Docetists,  who  held  that  Jesus  was  not  a  veri- 
table man,  but  God  dwelling  in  a  semblance  of  mor- 
tal flesh ;  that  his  body  was  a  phantom ;  that  the  real- 
ity was  God. 

It  is  written,  "Forasmuch  then  as  the  children  are 
partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise 
took  part  of  the  same."     And  again,  "In  all  things 


I08  "l    THIRST." 

it  behoved  him  to  be  made  like  unto  his  brethren." 
And  again,  ''We  have  not  an  high  priest  which  can- 
not be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities, 
but  was  in  all  points  tempted  (that  is,  tried)  like  as 
we  are,  yet  without  sin." 

But  if  Jesus  is  to  enter  wholly  into  the  fellowship 
of  humanity,  he  must  not  be  free  from  the  experience 
of  pain;  for  this,  as  Dryden  says,  "is  the  porcelain 
clay  of  human  kind."  It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  up 
to  this  point  in  his  passion  our  Lord  had  given  no 
token  of  physical  pain.  For  twenty  hours  he  had 
been  enduring  shame  and  buffeting  with  a  patience 
that  seems  superhuman ;  he  had  been  mocked  and 
scourged  and  spit  upon;  he  had  been  nailed  to  the 
cross,  and  for  three  mortal  hours  had  hung  between 
heaven  and  earth;  yet  not  a  murmur,  nor  a  cry  of 
pain  escaped  him.  Was  he  then  above  human  expe- 
rience ?  Would  he  die  like  a  Stoic,  or  like  an  Indian 
tied  to  the  stake  "  who  dies  and  makes  no  sign"? 
Had  he  no  nerves  ?     Was  he  superior  to  pain  ? 

No;  this  bitter  cry  discovers  his  full  humanity.  He 
dies  like  other  men.  At  night  when  the  battle  is 
over,  the  dying  who  lie  scattered  over  the  field  forget 
their  bleeding  wounds  in  the  anguish  of  mortal  thirst, 
and  on  every  side  they  feebly  cry,  "Water!  Water!  " 
Ah,  Jesus  understands  that.  At  this  moment  some 
one  somewhere  is  dying,  and  close  by  stands  a  friend 
ministering  to  the  last  desire,  wetting  the  fevered 
lips.  Christ  knows  that  anguish,  for  he  also  at  the 
last  moment  cried,  "  I  thirst." 

Why  did  he  not  call  to  the  rescue  his  illimitable 
power  in  this  moment  of  pain  ?  Why  was  it  neces- 
sary that  he  should  thirst  ?     Was  it  not  he  who  had 


'    1    THIRST.  109 

smitten  the  rocks  among  the  mountains,  that  all  the 
springs  might  gush  forth  ?  Were  not  all  the  brooks 
that  went  murmuring  through  the  meadows  under 
his  control  ?  Rivers  were  rolling  to  the  sea;  clouds 
full  of  water  were  floating  overhead;  legions  of  un- 
seen angels  were  round  about  his  cross,  ready  to  min- 
ister to  him  ;  yet  in  this  supreme  moment  of  anguish 
there  was  not  a  drop  for  his  thirsty  lips.  He  must 
keep  his  Godhood  in  reserve,  that  he  may  enter  into 
the  full  sorrows  of  humanity.  Aye,  he  can  be  touched 
with  a  feeling  of  our  infirmities.  He  was  "in  all 
points  "  such  as  we  are.      He  was  very  man  of  very  man. 

III.  Still  further,  he  here  shows  himself  to  be  the 
perfect  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  It  must  never 
be  forgotten  that  the  pain  of  Jesus  was  vicarious  pain. 
On  the  cross  he  exchanged  places  with  us:  "  He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for 
our  iniquities,  and  by  his  stripes  we  are  healed." 
*'  He  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree." 

The  cry,  ' '  I  thirst !  "  was  expressive  of  physical  pain, 
but  of  something  deeper  also.  Our  Lord  was  enter- 
ing into  a  region  of  sorrow,  shame  and  remorse  for 
sin.  He  so  far  identified  himself  with  us  that,  as  he 
penetrated  the  dark  region  of  the  atonement,  he  lost 
self-consciousness  more  and  more.  It  is  the  cry  of 
souls  under  the  lash  of  sin's  whip  of  scorpions  which 
he  utters  here;  for  he  descended  into  hell  for  us. 

The  word  that  expresses  Gehenna  better  than  any 
other  is  * '  thirst. "  This  was  in  the  mind  of  the  Greeks 
when,  in  their  mythology,  they  doomed  Tantalus,  the 
son  of  Jupiter,  for  the  murder  of  Pelops,  to  stand 
breast  deep  in  water,  which  ever  receded  as  he  bent 
toward  it  with  burning  lips.     There  is  a  like  concep- 


no  I    THIRST. 

tion  in  our  Lord's  parable  of  Dives,  who  in  the  region 
of  despair  prayed  that  one  might  be  sent  to  dip  the 
tip  of  his  fingers  in  water  and  cool  his  tongue;  "  for," 
he  said,  "  I  am  tormented  in  this  flame."  The  thirst 
here  is  not  physical  thirst  any  more  than  the  flame  is 
material  fire;  but  it  expresses  an  awful,  unsatisfied 
longing  and  hopeless  regret.  If  our  Lord  in  vicari- 
ous anguish  is  to  take  upon  himself  our  penalty  to 
the  very  uttermost,  he  must  know  this  experience. 
The  burden  of  the  world's  sin  was  upon  him.  He 
forgot  himself.  He  exchanged  places  with  those  who 
were  doomed  to  pass  under  the  dark  portals  of  eter- 
nal death.  His  thirst  was  the  thirst  of  the  perishing 
children  of  men. 

Is  there  one  who  says,  "  I  do  not  believe  in  hell." 
Where  have  you  been,  my  friend  ?  You  surely  have 
not  read  the  newspapers.  O  the  endless  chronicles 
of  woe!  The  want  and  squalor,  the  surrender  to  bes- 
tial vices,  the  crime,  the  hopeless  remorse!  O  the 
long  procession  to  death !  We  say  that  heaven  be- 
gins here  and  now.  And  why  not  hell,  also  ?  The 
cry  of  Jesus,  "I  thirst!"  is  the  cry  of  the  sinning, 
suffering,  despairing  multitude.  He  must  enter  into 
this  profound  depth  of  sorrow  if  he  would  relieve  it. 
Thus  in  his  last  anguish  he  touches  with  one  hand 
the  world  that  he  came  to  save,  and  with  the  other 
the  infinite  God  who  alone  can  save  it.  And  therein 
he  becomes  a  perfect  mediator,  the  only  mediator 
between  God  and  man. 

So  he  reveals  himself  in  this  utterance  in  the  en- 
tirety of  his  nature  and  personality  as  perfect  Son  of 
God,  perfect  Son  of  Man,  and  perfect  Mediator.  And 
here  is  manifest  the  whole  rationale  of  redemption. 


*'I    THIRST.  Ill 

In  this  triple  cliaracter  he  meets  the  spiritual  want  of 
the  whole  world  "groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  to- 
gether until  now";  for  thus  he  is  able  "  to  save  them 
to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him." 

All  this  must  make  a  tremendous  appeal  to  thought- 
ful men  who  have  not  yet  accepted  Christ  as  their 
Saviour.  For  he  bears  our  mortal  thirst,  that  he  may 
put  the  cup  of  living  water  to  our  lips.  To  the  wo- 
man of  Samaria  he  said,  "If  thou  knewest  who  it  is 
that  saith  unto  thee,  Give  me  to  drink,  thou  wouldst 
have  asked  of  him  and  he  would  have  given  thee  liv- 
ing water."  In  his  passion  of  death  he  offers  the  gift 
of  life.  O,  if  thou  knewest,  thou  wouldst  ask  him. 
For  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  he  will 
give,  shall  never  thirst;  but  the  water  that  Christ 
giveth,  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up 
into  everlasting  life. 

I  remember  hearing,  when  I  was  a  boy,  the  great 
orator,  John  B.  Gough,  pronounce  an  apostrophe  to  a 
cup  of  water  held  in  his  hand.  He  spoke  of  it  in 
words  of  rare  eloquence;  as  "gushing  from  the  heart 
of  the  mountains,  dropping  from  the  clouds  of  hea- 
ven, laughing,  and  full  of  life."  But  there  is  some- 
thing sweeter  and  more  refreshing  than  that.  I  hear 
the  murmur  of  a  river  that  flows  from  beneath  the 
throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb ;  a  pure  river  of  water 
of  life,  clear  as  crystal;  on  either  side  of  it  are  living 
trees  which  bear  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  their 
leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations.  Ho,  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters!  Whoso- 
ever is  athirst,  let  him  stoop  down  and  drink  and  live 
forever! 

But  the  profoundest  appeal  of  this  death  cry  is  to 


112  "I    THIRST. 

those  who  follow  Christ.  "If  thou  knewest  who  it 
is  that  saith  unto  thee,  Give  me  to  drink  " — what 
then,  beloved  ?  Ah,  surely  you  would  give  him  to 
drink!  By  all  your  love,  by  all  your  devotion,  by  all 
your  vows  of  loyalty,  you  would  instantly  give  him 
to  drink.  And  this  you  can  do  by  pucting  the  cup  of 
cold  water  to  the  thirsty  lips  of  his  little  ones. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  there  was  one  at  Calvary 
that  day  who  was  moved  by  this  appeal.  It  is  writ- 
ten, "  Straightway  one  of  them  ran  and  took  a  sponge 
and  filled  it  with  vinegar  and  put  it  on  a  reed  and 
gave  him  to  drink," — probably  one  of  the  soldiers, 
hardened  to  deeds  of  cruelty  in  long  Roman  cam- 
paigns. His  comrades  mocked  him,  saying,  "Let 
be;  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  save  him." 
But  he  disregarded  them ;  for  his  heart  was  touched. 
It  shall  be  remembered  as  a  memorial  of  him  forever, 
that  he  heeded  the  dying  Jesus'  mortal  cry,  "I 
thirst!" 

The  world  is  perishing  for  want  of  the  water  of 
life.  The  cry  of  Jesus  is  the  cry  of  the  slums,  of  the 
lapsed  masses,  of  the  friendless  and  despairing,  of 
thieves  and  murderers,  of  the  pagan  multitudes,  of 
those  who  dwell  in  the  regions  of  darkness  and  of 
the  shadow  of  death,  of  the  poor  and  unbefriended 
and  unholy  everywhere.  Would  you  give  Jesus  to 
drink  ?  Then  put  the  cup  of  water  to  their  lips.  For 
it  has  pleased  Jesus  to  identify  himself  with  the  needy 
everywhere.  "I  was  an  hungered,"  he  says,  "and 
ye  gave  me  meat;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  to 
drink;  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in,  naked 
and  ye  clothed  me,  sick  and  ye  visited  me,  in  prison 
and  ye  came  unto  me." 


"l    THIRST.  113 

This  is  practical  Christianity.  To  weep  at  Calvary 
is  no  evidence  of  devotion  to  Jesus.  He  cries,  "1 
thirst";  and  he  plainly  tells  us  how  we  may  satisfy 
his  thirst.  We  are  to  give  to  the  people — the  suffer- 
ing multitudes  for  whom  he  died — the  cup  of  cold 
water  in  his  name.  They  are  perishing — in  our 
streets,  on  our  frontiers,  in  pagan  lands,  everywhere — 
for  want  of  it.  They  drink  at  earthly  fountains  only 
to  thirst  again  and  stagger  on  in  their  great  need. 
Run  with  the  Holy  Grail — the  name  of  Jesus  graven 
deep  upon  it — and  give  them  to  drink.  They  are  an- 
hungered and  naked,  they  are  sick  and  in  prison ; 
their  pain  is  the  pain  of  Jesus.  It  is  he  who,  with 
their  hoarse  voices  ::nd  fevered  lips  calls  for  the  satis- 
fying draught — and  calls  to  thee. 

"There  is  a  doorway  in  a  narrow  street, 

And  close  beside  that  door  a  broken  stair, 
And  then  a  low,  dark  room. 

The  room  is  bare; 
But  in  a  corner  lies 

A  worn-out  form  upon  a  hard  straw-bed, 
No  pillow  underneath  his  aching  head  : 
A  face  grown  wan  with  suffering,  and  a  hand 
Scarce  strong  enough  to  reach  the  small,  dry  crust 
That  lies  upon  the  chair. 
*  Go  in,'  the  Master  says,  '  for  I  am  there  ! 

I  have  been  waiting  wearily  in  that  cold  room, 
Waiting  long,  lonely  hours, 

Waiting  for  thee  to  come.' " 

This  is  the  message  :  If  thou  lovest  Christ,  take 
Christ  to  the  people.  He  alone  can  quench  the  deep 
thirst  of  the  undying  soul.  Give  them  to  drink  in 
the  name  of  him  who  burned  with  their  fever  on  the 
cross.  Give  ye  them  to  drink  !  And  remember  the 
word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  how  he  said,  *'  Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me." 


KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS. 

'*  Now  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was  signed,  he  went  into  his  house ; 
and  his  windows  being  open  in  his  chamber  toward  Jerusalem,  he  kneeled 
upon  his  knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed,  and  gave  thanks  before  his 
God,  as  he  did  aforetime."— Daniel  6,  lo. 

At  this  time  Daniel  was  eighty-one  years  old.  He 
had  distinguished  himself  as  a  statesman  and  diplo- 
mat. He  was  the  Bismarck  of  Babylon,  with  a  long 
record  of  public  usefulness  unstained  by  rumor  of 
malfeasance  or  betrayal  of  trust. 

His  story  reads  like  a  romance.  He  had  been 
brought  as  a  captive  from  Jerusalem  at  the  age 
of  twelve.  On  account  of  his  comeliness  and  in- 
tellectual promise  he  had  been  selected,  with  other 
captive  youths  of  noble  lineage,  to  receive  an  educa- 
tion in  Babylonish  lore.  He  was  assigned  to  the  royal 
bounty  at  the  king's  table.  A  difficulty  here  con- 
fronted him.  The  meat  that  was  spread  upon  the 
table,  had  previously  been  offered  on  the  altars  of 
pagan  gods.  It  is  written,  "He  purposed  in  his 
heart  that  he  would  not  defile  himself  with  the  king's 
meat."  The  alternative,  which  he  chose,  was  a  sim- 
ple diet  of  pulse  and  water.  He  was  the  stuff  that 
heroes  are  made  of.     The  boy  is  father  of  the  man. 

Time  passed.  Step  by  step  he  rose  to  successive 
positions  of  honor  and  responsibility  until,  the  Medo- 

(114) 


KNEELING  AT  OPEN   WINDOWS.  I15 

Persian  empire  being  divided  into  one  hundred  and 
twenty  satrapies,  he  was  made  one  of  a  triumvirate 
to  rule  over  them.  But  his  success  and  faithfulness 
had  provoked  the  hostility  of  his  pagan  confreres; 
envy  ever  "hates  the  excellence  it  cannot  reach."  In 
matters  of  public  trust  they  could  find  no  occasion 
against  him;  he  was  vulnerable  only  at  one  point, 
that  is,  his  religion.  He  was  a  Jew,  a  nonconform- 
ist. For  more  than  fourscore  years,  he  had  been 
loyal  to  his  ancestral  faith.  And  just  there  the  trap 
was  laid  for  him. 

The  conspirators  knew  the  w^eakness  of  their  king. 
They  said  to  him,  "  King  Darius,  live  forever  !  We 
have  consulted  together  and  recommend  an  ordinance, 
that  whosoever  for  thirty  days  shall  ask  a  petition  of 
any  god  or  man,  save  of  thee,  O  king,  shall  be  cast 
into  the  den  of  lions."  It  was,  in  fact,  a  proposition 
to  deify  the  king.  He  was  overcome  by  their  flat- 
tery. The  proclamation  was  drawn  up,  and  the  royal 
seal  was  affixed,  making  it  ''  a  law  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians  which  altereth  not." 

No  prayer  for  thirty  days.  What  a  disconsolate 
period  !  The  temples  of  Bel,  Nebo  and  Merodach 
forsaken.  Household  images  put  away.  No  sacri- 
ficial fires  on  the  altars.  No  ceremonial  processions 
through  the  streets.  The  sorrowing  must  not  plead 
for  comfort.  Nay,  the  children  must  not  even  cry 
for  bread.  But  when  Darius  drove  out  in  his  chariot 
of  state,  all  Babylon  must  prostrate  itself  before  him 
as  before  a  very  god. 

And  if  any  refused  ?  The  den  of  lions  !  The 
ferocious  beasts,  kept  for  the  grim  amusement  of  a 
semi-barbaric  court,  pacing  up  and  dow^n,  famished 


Tl6  KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS. 

with  eyes  aflame,  await  their  prey.  Death  for  a  sup- 
plication !     Who  dares  brave  it  ? 

The  people  are  under  espionage.  Spies  are  sent 
out  for  trangressors.  "If  ye  find  any,  bring  them 
hither;  and,  above  all,  watch  the  house  of  Daniel  the 
Jew."  They  had  not  long  to  wait.  Aha  !  Yonder 
he  kneels  at  his  window,  in  plain  view.  Daniel  is  in 
the  meshes,  caught  at  last. 

This  is  the  figure  which  we  are  to  contemplate: 

I.  A  7nan  o?i  his  knees.  It  is  our  noblest  posture. 
The  first  of  the  Christian  emperors,  when  asked 
in  what  attitude  he  should  be  portrayed,  said, 
"  Paint  me  on  my  knees,  fori  have  attained  to  emi- 
nence in  that  way."  If  it  be  true  that  we  are  God's 
offspring,  it  follows  that  we  are  never  so  loyal  to  our 
birth  and  the  noble  laws  of  our  being,  as  when  in 
close  and  friendly  communion  with  God. 

My  friend,  have  you  prayed  to-day  ?  Is  it  possible 
that  you  have  lived  on  God's  bounty,  breathing  his 
air,  eating  his  food,  rejoicing  in  his  sunshine,  and 
have  not  had  the  grace  to  acknowledge  it  ?  A  dog 
will  lick  the  hand  of  the  master  who  feeds  him.  It  is 
the  suggestion  of  common  courtesy  that,  confessing 
ourselves  to  be  dependent  on  God's  bounty,  we  should 


say, 


<  ( 


I  thank  Thee. 


Let  it  be  observed  that  Daniel  was  accustomed  to 
pray.  "He  knelt  down  and  prayed  and  gave  thanks, 
as  he  did  aforetime.''  He  was  wont  to  make  his  sup- 
plication; had  an  appointed  place  and  had  stated 
times,  thrice  each  day.  It  is  a  matter  of  great  im- 
portance to  form  a  habit  of  prayer.  The  word 
"habit"  is  significant;  it  comes  from  haheo,  meaning 
"to  hold"  or  "to  fit."    The  word  is  used  to  indicate 


KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS.  II7 

either  a  way  of  living  or  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  indeed 
the  two  are  much  alike.  A  coat  adjusts  itself  in 
creases  and  wrinkles  to  its  wearer.  As  time  passes, 
we  say,  "It  fits,  it  sits  well,  it  grows  easy."  And 
thus  it  is  with  any  moral  wont;  in  time  it  adjusts 
itself,  grows  easy,  becomes  a  matter  of  course. 

All  men  pray  in  moments  of  emergency.  In  the 
face  of  sudden  danger  they  cry  out  instinctively  to 
God.  I  have  seen  many  die,  but  never  one  who 
did  not  feel  the  necessity  of  prayer  in  that  "hour 
that  tries  the  soul."  But  he  who  has  formed  the 
habit  meets  all  emergencies  with  ready  ease.  He 
prays  "as  aforetime."  Nothing  takes  him  unawares. 
The  onslaught  of  the  adversary  finds  him  with  his 
armor  on.  When  he  reaches  the  valley  of  the  shad- 
ow, he  leans  on  his  accustomed  staff. 

Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital  breath, 

The  Christian's  native  air; 
His  watchword  at  the  gates  of  death, 

He  enters  heaven  with  prayer. 

II.  The  windows  of  DanieVs  chamber  were  open.  We 
are  not  told  why;  perhaps  only  that  the  cool  west 
wind  might  blow  in. 

It  is  not  said  that  Daniel  opened  them  on  this  oc- 
casion; but,  "his  windows  being  open,  he  knelt 
down,  and  prayed,  and  gave  thanks  before  his  God." 
The  true  worshiper  does  not  make  a  spectacle  of  his 
piety.  Our  Lord  has  something  to  say  upon  this  point : 
"And  when  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the 
hypocrites  are,  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the 
synagogues  and  in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they 
may  be  seen  of  men."  And  he  speaks  with  grave 
displeasure  of  a  certain  Pharisee  who,  planting  him- 


Il8  KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS. 

self  in  a  conspicuous  place,  prayed  thus  with  himself, 
**  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are." 

But  observe:  the  windows  of  Daniel's  chamber 
being  already  open,  he  did  not  shut  them.  We  may 
imagine  that  on  entering  the  room  and  finding  the 
windows  thrown  back,  he  reasoned  thus:  ''What 
shall  I  do  ?  Here  is  the  spot  where  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  kneel  before  God.  But  spies  are 
probably  at  this  moment  observing  me.  Why  should 
I  kneel?  Will  it  not  answer  every  purpose  if  I  make 
my  supplication  in  the  privacy  of  my  own  breast? 
Yet  that  would  blur  the  record  of  my  former  life. 
Suppose,  then,  I  close  the  lattice.  Why  not  ?  If  I 
am  enclosed  in  the  toils  of  my  adversaries  now,  my 
usefulness  will  end.  Shall  I  close  the  windows  then? 
Nay;  by  all  that  is  true,  noble  and  manly,  I  cannot! 
What  is  there  in  my  religion  to  be  ashamed  of;  or 
whom  shall  I  fear?  Have  I  not  the  sure  promise  of 
God?  Nay;  I'll  be  no  coward.  I'll  pray  as  I  have 
done  aforetime,  and  trust  in  my  God."  And  down 
he  dropped  upon  his  knees. 

III.  //  i's  said  that  his  windows  were  open  toward 
Jerusalem.  Why  toward  Jerusalem  ?  Was  it  be- 
cause the  home  of  his  boyhood  was  there  ?  An  old 
lady  said  to  me  yesterday,  that  she  had  just  returned 
from  a  visit  to  New  Haven ;  there  she  sought  the  old 
homestead,  to  find  not  a  vestige  left  except  a  vener- 
able elm  that  had  stood  before  her  father's  door.  "  I 
would  have  kissed  it,"  she  said,  "but  for  the  pass- 
ers-by. As  it  was,  I  stood  and  affectionately  stroked 
the  bark  of  the  old  tree."  It  may  be  that  Daniel  too 
had  often  looked  away  through  those  open  windows, 
in  fond  remembrance  of  the  scenes  of  his  former  life. 


KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS.  II9 

But  there  was  something  more.  It  was  ordained 
that  the  Jews  scattered  abroad  in  their  captivity 
should  worship  with  their  faces  toward  the  Holy  City. 
There  was  a  profound  reason  for  this;  the  "  Hope  of 
Israel  "  centered  there.  The  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
their  religious  economy,  all  pointing  tow^ard  the 
Messiah,  were  observed  there.  It  was  on  the  heights 
of  Mount  Moriah  that  Abraham  had  lifted  the  sacri- 
ficial knife  above  his  son,  "his  only  son  whom  he 
loved  " — a  passion-play,  a  foregleam  of  Calvary.  It 
was  on  those  same  heights,  at  the  threshing  floor  of 
Araunah,  that  the  destroying  angel  of  the  pestilence 
had  stayed  his  hand  in  answer  to  the  intercessory 
prayer  of  David, — another  foregleam,  a  silhouette  of 
the  great  deliverance,  a  prophecy  of  the  cross.  And 
there  Solomon  had  reared  the  temple,  the  "  House 
Magnifical."  But  what  was  that  temple  without  its 
altar  ?  And  what  w^as  the  altar  without  the  sacrifice  ? 
And  what  was  the  sacrifice  without  the  blood  ?  Thus 
all  things  in  the  worship  at  Jerusalem  were  signifi- 
cant of  Christ. 

We  also  pray  with  our  windows  open  toward  Jeru- 
salum ;  but  it  is  the  Jerusalem  above,  where  Christ 
sitteth  in  light  and  glory  unapproachable,  evermore 
making  intercession  for  us.  The  shadows  of  the  old 
dispensation  have  vanished  before  the  sun.  Judaism 
as  an  ethnic  religion  has  been  merged  in  Christianity 
as  the  universal  faith.  Our  Lord  said  to  the  woman 
of  Samaria,  "  Believe  me,  the  hour  cometh  when  nei- 
ther in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusalem,  shall  ye 
worship  the  Father;  but  the  true  worshipers  shall 
worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  That 
hour  came  w^hen,  hanging  on  his  cross,  he  cried,  "It 


I20  KNEELING    AT    OPEN    WINDOWS. 

is  finished!"  It  was  probably  at  that  instant  that 
the  priest  engaged  in  lighting  the  evening  lamps  in 
the  temple,  saw  the  veil  before  the  Holy  of  Holies 
rent,  as  by  an  unseen  hand,  from  top  to  bottom,  sig- 
nifying that  henceforth  the  mysteries  of  the  faith, 
merged  in  the  glory  of  Christ,  were  open  to  all  the 
children  of  men. 

The  power  of  prayer  is  in  this  shibboleth,  "For 
Jesus'  sake."  Our  windows  thus  are  open  toward 
the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace  where  our  Lord 
ever  maketh  intercession  for  us. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  when  Daniel  turned  his 
face  toward  Jerusalem  he  fully  understood  all  this; 
but  he  lived  up  to  the  measure  of  his  prophetic  light. 
He  must  have  known  that  there  was  no  more  virtue 
in  the  west  than  in  any  other  point  of  the  compass, 
for  God  is  everywhere.  But  in  turning  his  face 
thither,  he  did  homage  to  a  great  truth,  which  was 
in  dim  outline  before  him.  We  who  stand  on  the 
hither  side  of  the  cross,  are  in  the  glory  of  the  gospel 
day.  We  trust  in  the  power  of  our  Saviour's  blood. 
We  expect  to  be  answered  for  his  sake.  Wherefore, 
our  eyes  are  ever  toward  him. 

IV.  Now  as  to  the  sequel.  The  guards  are  walking 
to  and  fro  before  the  lions'  den.  Daniel  is  within. 
They  had  expected  to  hear  the  roar  of  the  famished 
beasts,  the  tearing  of  flesh  and  crunching  of  bones; 
but  there  is  a  strange  silence.  They  wonder,  confer, 
draw  the  great  stone  aside  to  see.  The  beasts  are 
huddled  yonder  in  a  corner,  as  if  cowed  and  fearful! 
Daniel  kneels  w^ith  his  face  uplifted.  What  is  there 
between  him  and  them  ? 

In  the  meantime    the  king  had  retired  to  his  bed- 


KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS.  12  1 

chamber;  but  he  could  not  sleep.  "  His  sleep  went 
from  him."  He  tossed  to  and  fro  uneasily;  he  was 
"sore  displeased  with  himself";  for  he  loved  his 
faithful  chancellor  whom  he  had  committed  to  the 
lions.  Look  on  that  picture  and  then  on  this !  While 
Daniel  kneels  calmly  in  the  face  of  danger,  his  king 
is  tortured  by  an  evil  conscience.  At  the  first  glimmer 
of  the  dawn  he  rises  and  betakes  himself  to  the  den 
of  lions.  The  silence  is  ominous.  In  a  lamentable 
voice  he  cries,  "O  Daniel!  Has  the  God,  whom  thou 
dost  worship,  been  able  to  deliver  thee?"  And  a 
voice  from  within  answers,  "O  king,  live  forever! 
My  God  hath  sent  his  angel  to  shut  the  mouth  of  the 
lions,  that  they  might  not  hurt  me."  Roll  back  the 
stone;  let  this  man  out.  Vindicated?  Nay,  more; 
tried  as  fine  gold  is  tried  in  the  furnace.  A  sevenfold 
better  man  than  when  he  went  in.  And  another 
royal  decree  is  issued,  "Let  all  men  in  my  dominion 
tremble  before  Daniel's  God." 

What  is  the  lesson?  It  pays  to  stand  for  principle.  In 
the  long  run  it  is  bad  policy  to  sacrifice  principle  to 
policy.  We  weaken  and  die  of  compromise.  One  of 
the  significant  dates  in  American  history  is  March 
7th,  1850.  On  that  day  a  great  statesman,  name- 
sake of  Daniel,  shamed  the  record  of  a  long  lifetime  of 
public  usefulness.  He  had  been  identified  with  the 
cause  of  freedom  and  humanity.  He  had  stood  side 
by  side  with  Henry  Clay  in  many  a  bold  crusade  for 
human  rights.  In  his  memorable  reply  to  Hayne  he 
had  given  the  best  exposition  of  constitutional  govern- 
ment that  has  ever  been  heard  in  our  legislative  halls. 
But  on  March  7th,  1850,  alarmed  by  threats  of  civil 
war,  he  bowed  like  a  doughface  to  kiss  the  feet  of  the 


122  KNEELING  AT  OPEN  WINDOWS. 

Oppressor.  His  fall  was  lamented  by  Whittier  in  a 
poem  called,  ' '  Ichabod, "  in  which  Daniel  Webster  was 
likened  to  Noah,  drunken  and  uncovered  in  his  tent : — 

**  So  fallen!     So  lost!     The  light  withdrawn 

Which  once  he  wore; 
The  glory  from  his  gray  hairs  gone 

Forevermore. 
Then  paj'  the  homage  of  old  days 

To  his  dead  fame; 
Walk  backward  with  averted  gaze, 

And  hide  the  shame." 

The  men  whom  we  delight  to  honor  in  the  record 
of  the  past,  are  those  who  have  been  willing  to  stand 
for  the  truth  against  the  world;  who  have  faced  the 
scourge,  confiscation,  exile  and  death,  for  principle; 
who  in  moments  of  danger  have  been  ready  to  say, 
"  Here  I  stand,  I  cannot  otherwise.      God  help  me  !" 

Let  us  bring  this  story  up  to  date.  The  modern 
Daniel  is  the  Daniel  we  have  to  do  with.  The  mer- 
chant who  reads  this  stirring  tale  of  heroism  has  no 
lack  of  opportunity  to  emulate  it;  in  his  commercial 
life  he  meets  the  question  again  and  again,  "Shall  I  be 
governed  by  considerations  of  policy  or  of  prin- 
ciple ?" 

The  young  woman  in  social  life  must  determine, 
over  and  over,  whether  she  will  be  true  to  her  vows 
of  Christian  faithfulness,  or  yield  to  the  allurements 
of  frivolity  and  worldliness. 

The  young  man  in  the  life  of  the  busy  city  is  ever 
tempted  to  cowardly  surrender;  yonder  is  the  wine- 
glass, yonder  a  hand  beckoning  from  the  doorway  of 
her  whose  feet  take  hold  on  hell. 


KNEELING    AT    OPEN    WINDOWS.  123 

Are  your  windows  open  toward  Jerusalem  ?  Kneel 
down,  no  matter  who  beholds,  and  make  your  prayer. 
Let  your  light  so  shine  that  men  may  see  your 
good  works  and  glorify  God.  Speak  up,  man ;  no 
mouthing  or  mumbling,  in  God's  name  !  Be  true 
to  your  faith;  true  to  your  convictions;  true  to  the 
teaching  of  Scripture;  true  to  your  conscience;  true 
to  Christ  who  bought  you  with  his  precious  blood. 
Quit  yourself  like  a  man,  and  the  God  of  Daniel  will 
never  leave  you  nor  forsake  you. 


"IN  THE  DAYS  OF  HEROD  THE  KING." 

A   CHRISTMAS   SERMON. 

"  Now  when  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea  in  the  days  of  Herod  the 
king."— Matt.  2,  i. 

This  petty  ruler  was  called  "  The  Great."  He  was 
the  founder  of  the  Herodian  family.  He  had  risen 
from  an  humble  Idumean  origin  by  successive  steps 
of  promotion  to  be  governor,  tetrarch,  provincial 
king.  But  what's  in  a  name  ?  The  spectre  with 
the  scythe  and  hour-glass  breathes,  and,  lo,  all  \itles 
vanish  like  the  fabric  of  a  dream. 

He  was  a  clever  politician,  knowing  how  to  adjust 
himself  to  the  ups  and  downs  of  circumstance.  He 
was  true  successively  to  Pompey,  Caesar  and  Cassius. 
In  his  religion  also  he  was  a  time-server  and  syco- 
phant. He  courted  popularity  but  made  himself  uni- 
versally unpopular.  He  rebuilt  the  Jewish  temple, 
and  placed  the  golden  eagle  of  Rome  above  its  en- 
trance; and  the  Jews  hated  him.  He  built  a  temple 
on  Mount  Gerizim  for  the  Samaritans;  and  the  Sa- 
maritans despised  him.  He  built  a  temple  at  Csesarea 
for  the  pagan  gods,  and  was  repaid  by  plots  and  con- 
spiracies. His  life  was  in  constant  danger:  He 
found  it  necessary  to  surround  himself  with  a  circle 
of  foreign  mercenaries  and  his  capital  with  a  chain 
of  fortified  towns. 

(124) 


''in    the    days    of    HEROD    THE    KING.  125 

His  personal  character  was  an  open  scandal.  His 
tyranny  in  public  administration  was  only  equalled 
by  his  private  vices.  He  had  ten  wives;  he  murdered 
one  of  them  and  three  sons.  The  Emperor  Au- 
gustus is  credited  with  this  epigram,  "  It  were  better 
to  be  one  of  Herod's  swine,  than  one  of  his  children. " 

He  reigned  thirty-seven  years.  Despite  his  vices 
he  had  many  of  the  qualities  that  go  to  make  a  suc- 
cessful ruler.  He  combined  with  an  iron  will  a  cour- 
ageous spirit  and  great  shrewdness.  He  had  much 
to  do  with  the  triumphant  campaigns  of  Rome 
which  resulted  in  the  subjugation  of  the  world.  He 
was  a  famous  architect,  delighting  in  magnificent 
temples  and  palaces;  but  of  these  not  one  stone  is 
left  upon  another.  Afflavit  Deus !  The  implacable 
logic  of  events  has  left  this  man  no  monument. 

He  died  as  the  fool  dieth ;  his  soul  shaken  with  re- 
morse, his  frame  consumed  with  fever,  his  joints 
racked  and  rent  asunder  by  gangrene.  He  was  bur- 
ied with  ostentatious  display  somewhere  under  the 
palms  of  Jericho,  and  no  man  knoweth  of  his  grave. 

His  greatness  was  superficial  and  transient.  His 
only  place  in  history  and  his  only  title  to  immortality 
are  due  to  his  casual  contact  with  a  certain  Peasant 
Child. 

I.  "  The  days  of  Herod  the  king.'"  The  phrase  is 
more  than  a  notation  of  time.  An  age  or  gener- 
ation is  a  composite  photograph  of  the  individuals 
who  compose  it.  If  you  strike  the  average  of  men 
and  events  at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era, 
you  will  get  Herod  the  king.  He  stands  for  an 
epoch,  for  an  order  of  things. 

I.   His  days  were  days  of  peace.     For  the  third  time 


126 

in  the  history  of  the  Roman  Empire  the  great  gates 
of  the  temple  of  Janus  were  closed.  But,  alas!  it  was 
the  peace  of  a  base  and  utter  stagnation.  All  nations 
of  the  earth  had  been  made  to  pass  under  the  yoke  of 
imperial  Rome. 

The  Jews,  after  a  long  and  stubborn  defense  of 
their  autonomy,  had  been  obliged  to  yield ;  the  scep- 
tre had  passed  from  Judah  and  the  lawgiver  from  be- 
tween his  feet.  The  mission  of  this  people  had  in- 
deed been  fully  accomplished.  They  had  been 
''  chosen  "  to  cherish  the  true  religion  and  hand  down 
its  oracles  to  succeeding  ages.  They  supposed  that 
their  religion  was  an  exclusive  prerogative;  but  in 
their  final  dispersion  they  carried  monotheism  among 
the  nations  everywhere,  and  so  bore  their  part  in  the 
preparation  for  the  coming  of  Christ. 

The  Greeks  had  been  engaged  for  centuries  in  the 
perfecting  of  a  language  for  the  uses  of  art,  science 
and  philosophy.  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  new 
religion  could  have  found  an  adequate  expression  in 
any  other.  The  Greeks  meant  their  language  for  the 
use  of  Plato  and  Demosthenes;  but  in  its  elaboration 
they  were  unwittingly  doing  their  part  toward  the 
formulation  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  Romans  had  now  gathered  these  and  other  na- 
tions under  their  imperial  sway.  They  had  extended 
their  lines  of  influence  over  the  entire  civilized  world. 
They  had  built  roads  and  cast  up  highways  for  their 
armies.  They  had  made  thoroughfares  for  their  com- 
merce over  all  the  seas.  They  built  those  splendid 
highways,  as  they  supposed,  for  the  march  of  Caesar's 
cohorts:  in  truth  they  were  destined  for  the  heralds 
of  the  evangel. 


"in    the   days   of    HEROD    THE   KING."  1 27 

The  triple  preparation  was  now  accomplished. 
God  had  subsidized  the  three  great  nations  for  the 
fulfilment  of  his  purpose.  The  world  had  become 
acquainted  with  monotheism;  a  language  had  been 
framed  for  the  best  utterance  of  religious  thought ; 
the  roads  were  ready  for  the  heralds.  The  all-prevail- 
ing peace  was  a  token  of  the  fulness  of  the  time. 

2.  The  days  of  Herod  were  days  of  darkness.  It  had 
been  written  in  prophecy,  "The  sun  shall  be  turned 
into  darkness  before  that  great  and  notable  day  of 
the  Lord."  And  again,  "For,  behold,  darkness 
shall  cover  the  earth  and  gross  darkness  the  people." 
And  again,  "The  sun  and  moon  shall  be  dark,  and 
the  stars  shall  withdraw  their  shining." 

The  night  had  closed  in.  The  gods  of  the 
pantheons  had  fallen  from  their  pedestals.  The 
lights  of  the  golden  candlestick  were  extinguished 
in  the  temple.  Darkness  of  sin,  darkness  of  igno- 
rance, darkness  of  despair.  A  darkness  like  that  of 
Egypt,  which  could  be  felt;  so  chill,  so  thick,  that  ar- 
tificial lights  went  out.  It  was  darkness  like  the  fall- 
ing of  a  funeral  pall.  It  was  a  night  full  of  ghosts 
and  spectres  and  base  superstitions — a  night  of  fear 
and  trembling  and  crying,  ' '  Would  God  it  were  day !  " 

Truth  had  fallen  in  the  streets  and  Righteousness 
could  not  enter.  The  pagan  priests  looked  into  each 
other's  faces  and  smiled  at  their  mutual  deceits.  The 
two  extremes  of  credulous  superstition  and  blank  un- 
belief held  sway.  When  Pilate  sneered  with  curling 
lip  and  lifted  eyebrows,  "  What  is  truth  ?  "  he  did  but 
voice  the  spirit  of  his  age. 

And  when  truth  has  vanished,  virtue  dies.  There 
was  wickedness  in  high  places  and    in   low   places. 


128 

Drunkenness  and  licentiousness  walked  hand  in 
hand.  The  sanctions  of  morality  were  gone,  and 
with  them  went  humanity.  Life  was  of  little  value. 
Wealth  and  power  were  in  the  hands  of  the  few. 
There  were  kings  and  potentates  and  great  landlords; 
but  as  for  the  people  they  were  mere  oxen,  beasts  of 
burden.  Woman  was  at  her  worst.  Wrong  and 
selfishness  ruled  with  a  high  hand.  "The  world 
before  Christ,"  says  Luthardt,  "  was  a  world  without 
love. "  Matthew  Arnold  portrays  the  moral  decadence 
of  the  time  in  truthful  words : — 

"  On  that  hard  Pagan  world  disgust 

And  secret  loathing  fell; 
Deep  weariness  and  sated  lust 

Made  human  life  a  hell. 
In  his  cool  hall,  with  haggard  eyes, 

The  noble  Roman  lay; 
He  drove  abroad  in  furious  guise 

Along  the  Appian  Way; 
He  made  a  feast,  drank  fierce  and  fast, 

And  crowned  his  hair  with  flowers — 
No  easier  nor  no  quicker  past 

The  impracticable  hours." 

3.  But  the  days  of  Herod  were  days  of  expectancy.  It 
had  been  prophesied,  "The  people  that  sit  in  dark- 
ness shall  see  a  great  light."  The  last  of  the  old 
prophetic  line,  standing  and  waving  his  torch  in  the 
early  twilight  of  this  Egyptian  night,  had  cried  "  The 
Sun  of  Righteousness  shall  arise  with  healing  in  his 
wings."  It  is  a  true  saying,  "Man's  extremity  is 
God's  opportunity."  It  is  true  also  that  the  darkest 
hour  is  just  before  the  dawn.  The  Messianic  hope 
was  abroad.  Devout  Jews  like  Simeon  and  Anna 
were  waiting  for  the  manifestation  of  the  Hope  of 


**IN    THE    DAYS    OF    HEROD    THE    KING.  1 29 

Israel.  Devout  pagans  like  the  Magi  were  watching 
the  stars.  Devout  Greeks  were  speaking  of  the 
coming  of  Dikaios,  the  Just  One.  Virgil  was  writing 
his  Ninth  Eclogue.  There  were  voices  asking, 
'*  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?"  and  through  the 
darkness  one  great  answering  voice,  from  Seir,  *'  The 
morning  cometh!" 

God  struck  the  hour.  Two  figures  came  face  to 
face;  Herod  the  Great  and  the  Peasant  Child.  And 
a  conflict  then  began  which  shall  not  cease  until  the 
coming  of  the  Golden  Age.  Judged  from  the  stand- 
point of  human  considerations,  it  must  be  an  unequal 
contest.  For  Herod  has  on  his  side  all  power,  all 
patronage,  armies  and  fleets,  the  authority  of  im- 
perial Rome.  And  the  Child?  He  seems  as  helpless 
as  any  babe  that  ever  lay  in  a  mother's  arms. 

The  first  move  is  the  slaughter  of  the  innocents. 
Herod  and  this  Child  have  crossed  each  other's  paths, 
and  the  Child  must  die.  We  hear  above  all  fright- 
ened cries  and  frenzied  shrieks,  the  voice  of  Rachel 
weeping  for  her  children  and  refusing  to  be  com- 
forted. The  flash  of  the  swords  of  Herod's  soldiery 
opens  an  interminable  record  of  strife  and  persecution. 

Let  us  pass  from  that  dismal  scene  in  Bethlehem 
down  the  centuries,  amid  the  confused  noise  of  bat- 
tle, by  the  light  of  bonfires  and  auto-da-fes,  to  better 
days  than  those  of  Herod;  to  wit: 

II.  The  days  of  the  militant  Church.  We  are  able 
from  this  standpoint  to  determine  the  results  of  the 
conflict  thus  far.  It  was  Herod's  intent,  in  the 
slaughter  of  the  innocents,  to  nip  the  Messianic  pro- 
mise in  the  bud.  But  there  was  one  Peasant  Child 
in  Bethlehem  whom  all  earth's  armies  could  not  slay. 


130  *'lN    THE    DAYS    OF    HEROD    THE    KING. 

He  had  come  to  accomplish  a  mighty  work,  and  was 
immortal  until  that  work  was  done.  In  vain  do  the 
kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  in  array  against 
him.  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh;  the 
Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision!  And  now  that 
nineteen  hundred  years  have  passed,  it  is  evident 
that  all  the  malignity  of  the  Herodian  influence  has 
been  as  futile  as  the  brandishing  of  a  wooden  sword. 
Call  the  roll:  *'  Herod  the  king!  "  There  is  no  voice 
nor  answer,  nor  any  that  regardeth;  in  all  the  world 
there  is  none  so  poor  to  do  him  reverence.  Now  call, 
*' Jesus  the  Christ!"  and,  lo!  four  hundred  mil- 
lions rise  up  to  call  him  blessed. 

There  are  three  forces  existent,  universal  and  mag- 
nificently potent,  which  attest  the  progress  of  the 
great  conflict. 

T.  The  Bible.  This  is  the  book  of  the  Peasant 
Child.  Take  Him  out  and  nothing  remains  of  it. 
The  Word  Written  shares  the  glory  and  the  destiny  of 
the  Word  Incarnate.  The  Herodian  influence  has 
ever  been  against  it.  Do  you  ask,  '*Whydo  men 
hate  this  Book  ? "  Tell  me,  why  did  Herod  hate  the 
Child  of  Bethlehem  ?  What  has  this  book  done  ? 
Good  and  only  good  all  the  days  of  its  life.  Yet  foes 
without  and  skeptics  within  have  combined  to  de- 
stroy it.  But  all  in  vain.  Bonfires  cannot  burn  it. 
Hostile  criticism  recoils  upon  itself.  The  Word  of 
the  Lord  endureth  forever;  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it.  This  Bible  is  the  book  of  the  ages. 
It  is  not  catalogued  with  other  books:  their  editions 
are  of  thousands;  its  editions  are  of  millions.  It  is 
the  Book,  by  itself,  solitary  and  alone,  guarded 
through  the  ages  under  the  aegis  of  God. 


**IN    THE    DAYS   OF    HEROD    THE    KING.  131 

2.  The  Church.  This  is  the  great  organism  through 
which  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  manifest  and  potent  for 
the  salvation  of  the  world.  The  Herodian  spirit  has 
ever  opposed  it.  In  the  catacombs,  among  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Vaudois,  on  the  plains  of  Armenia,  every- 
where the  slaughter  of  the  innocents  has  gone  on 
unceasingly ;  but  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  has  been 
the  seed  of  the  Church. 

Unshaken  as  the  eternal  hills, 

Immovable  she  stands; 
A  mountain  that  shall  fill  the  earth, 

An  house  not  made  with  hands. 

3.  The  living  and  dofni?tanf  Christ.  He  is  the  colossal 
figure  of  these  days.  His  promise  is  fulfilled,  Lo,  I 
am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  present 
order  of  things. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  to 
speak  of  the  Bible  patronizingly,  as  one  of  many 
noble  books,  and  of  Christ  as  one  of  earth's  noblest 
men.  On  one  occasion,  lecturing  in  Kingston, 
Ontario,  he  mentioned  in  succession  a  company  of 
historic  teachers,  such  as  Plato  and  Epictetus,  Con- 
fucius and  Sakya  Muni,  and  was  proceeding,  ''I  say 
then  that  the  world  reverences  and  will  ever  reverence 
Jesus  and  his  peers  " — when  a  voice  from  the  further 
gallery  cried,  "  He  has  no  peers!  My  Master  has  no 
peers!  "  All  eyes  were  turned  that  way.  It  was  the 
voice  of  a  young  pastor  named  Ormiston,  who  later 
became  minister  of  this  Collegiate  Church.  He  after- 
wards remarked  that  he  was  quite  unconscious  of 
what  he  was  saying,  being  carried  away  by  an  uncon- 
trollable indignation.  But  never  was  a  truer  word ; 
*'He  has  no   peers!       Our  Master  has   no   peers!" 


132 

Other  great  men  come  and  go,  but  Jesus  abides  for- 
ever. Others  play  their  part  in  history  and  vanish ; 
but  he  becomes  more  and  more  the  central  figure  of 
the  advancing  centuries  and  the  living  promise  of  the 
Millennium.  He  was  reckoned  at  the  beginning  as  a 
root  out  of  a  dry  ground,  in  whom  there  was  no  come- 
liness that  men  should  desire  him;  he  has  become,  in 
the  logic  of  events,  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand, 
the  one  altogether  lovely.  His  name  is  above  every 
name  that  is  named  in  heaven  or  on  earth. 

But  the  end  is  not  yet.  The  conflict  goes  on.  The 
world  is  not  saved.  The  Herodians  are  still  arrayed 
against  the  followers  of  Christ.  Nevertheless  we  are 
assured  of  the  outcome.  Let  us  pass  on  through  an 
indefinite  vista  of  the  future  and  come  to  the  end  of 
human  history,  to  wit: 

ni.  The  days  of  the  Son  of  Man.  For  he  shall  reign 
from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  The  time 
is  coming  when  no  man  shall  need  to  say,  ''Know 
thou  the  Lord."  For  every  man  shall  know  him 
from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  and  every  knee  shall 
bow  before  him. 

We  judge  from  the  analogy  of  the  divine  methods, 
that  Christ's  triumph  could  be  by  no  sudden  displace- 
ment of  adverse  power.  His  days  do  not  come  with 
a  sunburst,  but  like  every  dawn,  the  sun  shining 
brighter  and  brighter  unto  the  perfect  day.  This 
supreme  harvest  comes  not  like  manna,  but  like  the 
ripening  of  all  fruitful  fields, — first  the  blade,  then 
the  ear,  then  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 

But  the  royal  banners  onward  go.  Two  swords 
meet  in  the  conflict;  that  of  Herod  drips  with  blood; 
the  other  is  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  which  is  the  word 


133 

of  God.  And  he  has  said,  '*My  word  shall  not 
return  unto  me  void,  but  shall  accomplish  that  which 
I  please  and  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it." 
Meanwhile  the  word  for  every  Christian  is,  Lend 
a  hand !  Fall  in  and  lend  a  hand !  Ours  is  the  priv- 
ilege of  service  by  words  in  due  season  and  by  the 
power  of  a  holy  life.  The  logic  of  history  is  hope; 
the  logic  of  prophecy  is  faith. 

"  For,  lo,  the  days  are  hastening  on 
By  prophet  bards  foretold, 
Which  through  the  ever-circling  years 
Bring  in  the  Age  of  Gold." 

At  the  close  of  our  Civil  War,  when  Admiral  Du- 
pont  was  laboriously  explaining  why  he  had  failed  to 
get  into  Charleston  harbor  with  his  fleet  of  ironclads, 
he  was  interrupted  by  Farragut,  who  said,  "  But  there 
is  one  reason  which  you  have  not  given."  *'And 
what  is  that?"  "You  did  not  believe  you  could  do 
it!" 

It  cheers  the  heart  and  nerves  the  arm  to  feel  as- 
sured that  we  who  are  enlisted  with  the  Christ  are 
bound  to  win.  You  may  read  the  final  triumph  in  the 
sure  word  of  prophecy,  you  may  see  it  in  passing  events 
as  they  are  recorded  in  the  daily  press,  you  may  hear 
it  loud  and  clear  in  the  chiming  of  the  Christmas 
bells.  Hearken  how  they  say  as  they  swing,  ''For 
unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given :  and  the 
government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder:  and  his  name 
shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  mighty 
God,  The  everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace  !" 

The  story  of  Herod  shows  the  doom  of  the  Herod- 
ian  influence.  All  opposition  to  the  Peasant  Child 
must  go  for  naught.      Not  more  vain  were  it  for  a 


134      *'IN  THE  DAYS  OF  HEROD  THE  KING." 

scarabaeus  to  plant  itself  against  the  progress  of  the 
armies  of  the  Pharaohs,  not  more  vain  for  a  glow- 
worm to  oppose  the  light  of  noonday,  than  for  men 
whose  breath  is  in  their  nostrils  to  oppose  the  tri- 
umphal progress  of  the  Son  of  God.  Lift  up  your 
eyes  and  see;  all  these  gather  themselves  and  come 
unto  him ;  the  rams  of  Nebaioth,  the  dromedaries  of 
Midian,  the  ships  of  Tarshish!  The  kings  of  the 
earth  bring  the  glory  and  honor  of  the  nations  unto 
him.  Fall  in  and  lend  a  hand !  The  red  cross  ban- 
ner is  advancing  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  earth. 
The  Peasant  Child  has  on  his  vesture  and  on  his 
thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of 
Lords.  His  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and 
his  dominion  is  forever  and  ever.  The  days  of  Herod 
are  gone;  the  days  of  the  stern  conflict  are  passing; 
we  hail  the  days  of  the  Son  of  Man.  The  Christmas 
lights,  the  chiming  of  the  Christmas  bells,  the  laugh- 
ter of  the  children  in  our  homes,  all  hope  and  glad- 
ness are  a  prophecy  of  the  Golden  Age. 


THE  PASSOVER  PILGRIMS. 

A   NEW-YEAR   SERMON. 

"  And  thus  shall  ye  eat  it ;  with  your  loins  girded,  your  shoes  on  your  feet, 
and  your  staff  in  your  hand."— Exod.  12,  11. 

At  midnight  on  the  14th  of  Nisan,  the  children  of 
Israel  were  assembled  in  their  homes,  awaiting  the 
signal  to  march  forth.  They  looked  back  over  a 
dreary  stretch  of  four  hundred  years  of  bitter 
bondage  in  Egypt.  They  had  built  Pithom  and 
Raamses  and,  perhaps,  the  Pyramids.  They  had 
served  under  hard  taskmasters  with  bastinado  in 
hand.      But  the  days  of  their  slavery  were  over. 

An  unknown  future  was  before  them.  They  were 
going  forth  to  toils  and  dangers  that  they  knew  not. 
It  was  a  herculean  enterprise,  this  emeute  of  two 
million  slaves.  There  is  no  corresponding  event  in 
history.  It  suggests  a  marvelous  faith  and  courage 
on  the  part  of  these  people.  The  thought  of  the 
divine  intervention  must  have  stimulated  and  sus- 
tained them. 

A  man  had  been  divinely  sent  from  Midian  to  un- 
dertake for  them.  In  the  name  of  Jehovah  he  said, 
at  the  threshold  of  the  palace,  "  Let  my  people  go!  " 
Then  in  quick  succession  came  the  river  plagues,  the 
insect  plagues,  the  blight  and  murrain  and  darkness. 

(135) 


136  THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS. 

The  last  was  to  throw  open  the  stubborn  gates  of 
Egypt, — this  was  the  death  of  the  firstborn.  The 
people  were  assembled  now,  awe-struck  and  fearful, 
awaiting  the  midnight  cry. 

We  are  at  the  border  of  the  years.  Sins,  sorrows, 
disappointments  and  failures  are  behind  us.  We 
reach  forth  unto  the  things  that  are  before.  The 
future  beckons.     Are  we  ready  ? 

I.  The  Passover.  The  Israelites  began  their  jour- 
ney at  the  sacrificial  altar.  The  Lord  had  commanded 
them  to  slay  for  each  household  a  lamb,  a  firstling  of 
the  flock,  without  spot  or  blemish.  Its  blood  was  to 
be  sprinkled  upon  the  side  posts  and  lintel  of  the 
door.  "For,"  said  the  Lord,  *'Iwill  pass  through 
Egypt  this  night  and  smite  the  firstborn:  and  the 
blood  shall  be  to  you  for  a  token  upon  the  houses 
where  ye  are;  and  when  I  see  the  blood,  I  will  pass 
over  you."  The  blood  having  thus  been  sprinkled 
upon  the  doors,  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  was  spread 
upon  the  table  and  all  partook  of  it.  The  ceremo- 
nial of  that  eventful  night  is  immensely  significant. 
The  lamb  symbolized  the  "Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world";  as  it  is  written,  "Christ 
our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us." 

In  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  there  is  a  clear  refer- 
ence to  the  redeeming  power  of  the  cross.  The  law 
declares,  "The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."  The 
life  is  in  the  blood.  "  Without  the  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission. "  The  blood  cleanseth.  '  'Come 
now,  saith  the  Lord,  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red 
like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  If  we  are  to 
enter  upon  the  future  as  Passover  Pilgrims,  here  is 


THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS.  I37 

the  right  beginning  :    To   apprehend    by    faith    the 
power  of  the  blood. 

The  New  Year  Eve  is  observed  throughout  China 
in  a  general  payment  of  debts.  There  is  not  an 
almond-eyed  pagan  on  our  little  Doyer  Street  who 
would  not  consider  himself  disgraced  if  he  could  not 
enter  the  new  year  with  a  clean  balance  sheet.  We 
stand  as  debtors  before  the  law;  duty  is  only 
another  word  for  debt.  Sin  brings  us  into  hopeless 
arrears.  What  shall  we  do  ?  Pass  on  into  the  future 
with  an  uncanceled  score  resting  on  us  as  an  intoler- 
able burden?  That  is  unnecessary:  for  the  sufferings 
of  Jesus  are  a  ransom.  Its  benefits  are  appropriated 
by  faith.  ''Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  the  debt  I  owe." 
The  blood  washes  out  the  old  reckoning,  so  that  we 
pass  into  the  future  glad-hearted  and  hopeful,  and 
ready,  by  God's  grace,  to  meet  whatever  may  con- 
front us. 

There  is  a  deep  significance  also  in  the  eating  of  the 
flesh.  It  shadows  forth  our  vital  appropriation  of 
Christ  himself.  We  partake  of  him  as  our  soul's 
food,  his  life  becoming  assimilated  with  our  life.  We 
enter  into  fellowship  with  him  in  service,  cross- 
bearing,  self-denial;  and  if  we  thus  suffer  with  him, 
we  shall  also  reign  together.  He  identified  himself 
with  us  in  the  great  sacrifice  of  Calvary;  we  must 
needs  identify  ourselves  with  him  in  the  experiences 
of  the  Christian  life.  So  it  is  written,  *'  Except  ye 
eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
ye  have  no  life  in  you." 

The  second  book  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  opens 
WMth  a  picture  of  a  desolate  home.  Here  sits  Chris- 
tiana,   sore-hearted    and    melancholy,    her   children 


138  THE    PASSOVER    PILGRLMS. 

gathered  about  her.  A  year  ago  her  husband  fled 
from  the  City  of  Destruction  with  his  fingers  in  his 
ears,  crying,  "Life!  Life!  Eternal  Life!  "  She  re- 
fused to  go;  but  now  she  wails,  ''Woe  worth  the 
day!"  She  would  fain  set  forth,  if  she  dared.  "I 
also  will  be  a  pilgrim !  "  she  cries ;  but  fears  and  fore- 
bodings restrain  her.  There  is  a  knock  at  the  door. 
A  messenger  appears,  saying,  "Peace  be  to  this 
house.  The  Merciful  One  has  sent  me  to  say  that  he 
is  ready  to  forgive. "  He  places  in  her  hands  a  letter, 
written  in  characters  of  gold  and  exhaling  the  rarest 
fragrance.  It  is  an  announcement  of  pardon,  and  an 
assurance  of  divine  guidance  to  the  gates  of  the 
Celestial  City.  Then  Christiana  said,  "Come,  my 
children,  let  us  pack  up  and  be  gone!  "  She  placed 
the  letter  in  her  bosom,  and  ever  and  anon,  along  the 
way,  she  took  it  out  and  read  it.  She  learned  it  by 
heart,  she  taught  it  to  her  children.  It  was  one  of 
the  songs  of  their  pilgrimage,  and  at  the  last  it  was 
her  passport  at  the  shining  gate. 

Our  safety  on  the  journey  and  our  ultimate  arrival 
are  assured  by  accepting  this  proffered  care  and 
guidance  of  the  Merciful  One.  The  blood  sprinkled 
on  our  hearts  gives  us  the  peace  of  pardon;  and  a 
vital  apprehension  of  Christ  as  Saviour  and  Friend 
so  links  our  destiny  to  his,  that,  as  Rowland  Hill  used 
to  say,  "  He  can't  go  to  heaven,  and  leave  us  behind." 

II.  The  Pa7ioply.  It  was  not  enough,  however,  that 
the  children  of  Israel  should  partake  of  the  Pass- 
over; they  were  commanded  to  harness  themselves 
for  the  journey. 

In  Paul's  letter  to  the  Ephesians,  conceiving  the 
Christian  life  to  be  a  stern  campaign,  he  prescribes  a 


THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS.  1 39 

soldier's  panoply:  ''Wherefore  take  unto  you  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  with- 
stand in  the  evil  day,  and,  having  done  all,  to  stand. 
Stand  therefore,  having  your  loins  girt  about  with 
truth,  and  having  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness, 
and  your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel 
of  peace;  above  all,  taking  the  shield  of  faith  where- 
with ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of 
the  evil  one.  And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God." 

Our  present  thought,  however,  is  not  that  of  war- 
fare, but  of  journeying.  We  are  pilgrims  and  so- 
journers, looking  for  a  better  country  and  a  city  which 
hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 
We  require,  therefore,  a  pilgrim's  equipment;  to  wit, 
girdle,  sandals  and  staff. 

I.  The  Girdle;  that  is,  resolution.  I  do  not  say  res- 
olutions. The  beginning  of  the  year  is  marked  by  a 
multiplicity  of  these.  It  is  a  true  saying  that  hell  is 
paved  with  them.  Not  because  they  are  severally 
unwise,  but  because,  like  a  bundle  of  fagots,  they  are 
sure  to  be  torn  asunder,  ere  the  year  is  closed,  and 
scattered  broken  along  the  way. 

You  have  been  saying,  ''I  will  break  off  this  or 
that  evil  habit;  "  or,  "  I  will  cut  loose  from  certain 
pernicious  associations;"  or,  ''I  will  devote  myself 
more  scrupulously  to  business;  "  or,  "I  will  do  good 
as  I  have  opportunity  unto  all  men;"  or,  "I  will  be 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  my  ecclesiastical  duties." 
So  far,  so  good.  But  there  is  one  resolution  that 
covers  all,  namely,  ''I  will  be  true  to  my  covenant 
with  Christ."  To  say  this  in  all  sincerity  is  to 
tighten  one's  girdle  for  the  whole  year.     All  things 


I40  THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS. 

are  possible,  with  God's  grace,  to  the  man  of  noble 
purpose.  There  is  no  better  watchword  than  that  of 
the  old  Saxon  knight,  "  Will,  God  and  I  can!  " 

2.  The  sandals.  To  be  without  the  sandals  means 
weariness  and  blistered  feet,  for  we  are  to  traverse 
desert  sands.  The  shoes  for  our  feet  are  the  Bible 
and  Prayer.  Let  not  the  dust  accumulate  on  your 
Bible,  my  friend;  let  not  the  grass  grow  in  the  path- 
way to  your  trysting-place,  if  you  would  live  an 
earnest.  Christian  life. 

Do  you  believe  in  the  Bible?  Are  you  sure?  These 
are  days  when  a  man  needs  to  question  his  soul  in 
these  premises.  The  air  is  full  of  pedantic  assump- 
tions and  ill-grounded  reflections  as  to  the  veracity  of 
the  Book.  It  is  quite  the  fashion  among  a  certain 
class  of  callow  thinkers  to  assume  that  the  destruc- 
tive critics  have  carried  their  point.  You  will  scarcely 
find  a  group  of  young  people  anywhere  in  which 
there  are  not  some  vociferous  deniers  of  inspiration. 
It  takes  courage  under  such  circumstances  to  say 
frankly,  "I  believe  in  the  historic  view  of  the  iner- 
rancy of  Holy  Writ."  A  great  majority  of  God's 
people  the  world  over  are  of  that  mind;  but  why  do 
they  not  say  so? 

The  Bible  must  be  the  man  of  our  counsel  for  the 
coming  year.  We  shall  make  no  mistake  if  we  live 
by  its  precepts,  profit  by  its  admonitions  and  find  our 
chiefest  joy  in  its  exceeding  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises. It  will  provide  us  with  food  for  our  spiritual 
hunger,  medicine  for  sickness  and  ammunition  for 
every  battle. 

Then,  pray  without  ceasing.  Be  instant  in  prayer. 
Begin  the  day  with  it;  close  the  day  with  it;  let  all 


THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS.  I4I 

the  intervening  hours  be  full  of  it.  The  great 
steamers  that  carry  on  our  international  commerce 
cannot  stop  at  every  port  along  the  way;  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  lay  to  and  send  in  the  jolly-boat.  So  while 
engaged  in  our  common  pursuits,  if  we  may  not  turn 
aside  in  every  emergency  to  seek  the  trysting-place 
or  fall  upon  our  knees,  we  can  always  send  up  an 
ejaculatory  petition  to  the  throne  of  the  heavenly 
grace.  In  any  case,  neglect  not  "the  gift  of  the 
knees";  for 

"Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital  breath, 
The  Christian's  native  air  ; 
His  watchword  at  the  gates  of  death, 
He  enters  Heaven  with  prayer." 

3.  The  Staff;  that  is.  Faith.  For  whereon  shall  the 
Passover  Pilgrim  lean  if  not  upon  his  faith  in  God? 

The  Israelites  were  told  at  the  outset  that  God 
would  go  before  them  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and 
of  fire  by  night.  But  they  must  needs  believe  for  a 
while  without  seeing.  When  they  set  out  from 
Raamses  and  the  other  Egyptian  cities  there  was  no 
directing  cloud  above  them.  A  brief  journey  of  pos- 
sibly twenty-five  miles  brought  them  to  Etham  on 
the  edge  of  the  desert,  and  there  behold !  the  cloud 
appeared. 

No  doubt  there  were  some  there  who  regarded  it  as 
nothing  out  of  the  common.  "  It  looks  like  any 
cloud,"  they  said;  "have  you  seen  a  face,  or  has  a 
voice  proceeded  from  it  ?  "  And  when  the  sun  went 
down  and  the  cloud  was  tinged  with  fiery  splendor 
they  said,  "  Is  it  not  like  other  clouds  on  which  the 
glory   of   a  brilliant  sunset   lingers  ?     How   do  you 


142  THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS. 

know  Jehovah  is  there  ?  "  And  how,  indeed,  could 
they  know  ?     Only  by  faith. 

And  as  time  passed  their  faith  was  strengthened ; 
for  to  him  that  hath  shall  be  given.  The  cloud 
w^as  over  them  by  day,  a  pavilion  from  the  scorching 
sun.  It  went  before  them  on  the  march,  an  unerring 
guide  along  the  appointed  way.  And  when  the 
enemy  pursued,  it  went  behind  the  pilgrim  host 
and  was  as  the  blackness  of  darkness  to  their  foes. 

It  is  only  by  faith  that  we  apprehend  the  great  ver- 
ities of  the  spiritual  life.  Faith  is  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen. 
We  live  by  faith,  we  walk  by  faith;  this  is  the  victory 
that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith. 

It  is  precisely  at  this  point  that  believers  are  asked 
to  meet  the  severest  assault  of  the  adversary  in  our 
time.  A  wave  of  infidelity  is  sweeping  over  the 
world  and  making  itself  felt  even  in  some  of  our 
Theological  Seminaries  and  Churches,  which  puts 
forth  as  its  bold  pronunciamento  a  denial  of  the 
supernatural.  Call  it  Rationalism,  Agnosticism, 
Transcendentalism,  or  whatever  you  will;  the  under- 
lying thought  is  invariably  a  denial  of  the  super- 
natural. The  proposal  is  to  account  for  everything 
on  natural  grounds,  and  incidentally  to  reject  all 
that  cannot  be  tested  by  the  physical  senses. 

It  aims  a  poisoned  shaft  at  our  faith  in  God.  It 
asserts  the  Godhood  of  law,  force,  the  impersonal 
essence,  a  thing  without  eyes  to  see,  a  heart  to  pity 
or  hands  to  help.  And  indeed  if  faith  be  rejected  and 
the  testimony  of  the  senses  be  regarded  as  the  court 
of  last  appeal,  there  can  be  no  personal  God. 

It  denies  in  like  manner  the  nobility  of  man.     It 


THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS.  I43 

traces  his  ancestry  to  an  anthropoid  ape,  basing  the 
argument  on  a  hypothesis  inferred  from  a  facial 
angle.  It  reduces  brain  to  phosphorus  and  conscience 
to  friction.  It  makes  immortality  a  dream,  leaving 
man  to  die  like  the  beasts  that  perish;  for,  if  the 
testimony  of  faith  be  denied,  there  is  absolutely  noth- 
ing to  be  said  against  the  assertion  that  death  ends  all. 

It  denies  the  divineness  of  Christ.  We  have  recently 
heard  a  call  from  one  of  our  Theological  Seminaries 
for  a  "restatement  of  Christology. "  An  effort  is 
made  to  explain  away  the  supernatural  in  the  holy 
nativity.  The  miracles  of  Christ  are  referred  to 
optical  illusion.  The  divine  quality  in  the  blood- 
atonement  is  treated  as  a  fable.  The  resurrection  of 
Jesus  from  the  dead  is  an  invention  or  an  afterthought 
of  his  disciples.  Thus  is  Christ  derided  in  his  own 
house.  Those  who  call  themselves  after  his  name 
have  crowned  him  with  thorns,  clothed  him  with 
ribald  purple,  placed  an  impotent  reed  in  his  hands, 
and  kissed  their  hands  before  him,  crying,  "Hail, 
King  of  the  Jews  !  " 

This  is  the  tendency  of  our  time.  The  safeguard 
is  faith.  To  say  that  we  are  only  able  to  believe  what 
lies  within  the  circumscription  of  the  physical  senses, 
is  to  take  our  place  among  the  lower  orders.  All 
around  and  above  us  there  is  a  world  of  invisible 
verities.  Our  glory  is  to  escape  from  the  bondage  of 
the  senses,  to  dream  dreams  and  see  visions.  The 
strength  of  our  Christian  character  is  measured  by 
the  power  and  constancy  of  our  faith.  It  is  the 
domination  of  the  invisible  in  common  life  that 
measures  our  subjugation  to  the  authority  of  Christ. 

Let  us  therefore  be  great  believers.     Let  us  cut 


144  THE    PASSOVER    PILGRIMS. 

loose  from  the  sordid  and  sensual,  and  reach  after 
the  things  which  are  unseen  and  eternal.  We  are  too 
much  disposed  to  ask,  ''How  little  can  I  believe  and 
be  saved?  "  As  beings  of  two  worlds,  we  should  bring 
faith  not  to  its  minimum,  but  to  its  maximum. 
Credo  is  a  great  word.  How  much  can  I  apprehend 
of  the  great  body  of  truth?  How  sincerely  can  I 
say,  *'I  believe  "  }  How  far  can  I  ascend  out  of  the 
mists  of  the  lower  valleys  of  sordid  and  selfish  living 
into  the  higher  atmosphere  of  faith  in  the  invisible 
and  of  confidence  in  the  infinite  God? 

The  year  is  before  us.  Are  we  ready  ?  Have  we 
sprinkled  the  blood  and  partaken  of  the  flesh  of  the 
Paschal  Lamb.  Are  our  loins  girt  with  resolution  ? 
Have  we  taken  the  Bible  and  prayer  as  our  "pilgrim 
shoon"?  Is  the  strong  staff  in  our  hand  ?  Then  let  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  greet  us  quaintly  with  a  parting  word : 

"  Give  me  my  scallop-shell  of  quiet, 

My  staff  of  faith  to  lean  upon; 
My  scrip  of  joy,  immortal  diet ; 

My  bottle  of  salvation  ; 
My  gown  of  glory,  hope's  true  gauge, 
And  thus  I  take  my  pilgrimage  1 " 


EUODIA  AND  SYNTYCHE. 

"  I  beseech  Euodia  and  beseech  Syntyche  that  they  be  of  one  mind  in  the 
Lord."    Phil.  4  :  2. 

The  Epistles  are  of  great  value,  not  only  for  their 
formulation  of  our  Lord's  teachings  ;  but  for  the 
light  they  throw  upon  the  early  life  of  the  church. 
We  learn  from  them  that  the  primitive  Christians 
were  a  singularly  earnest,  affectionate  and  simple 
folk.  We  catch,  in  the  passage  before  us,  a  glimpse 
of  their  mutual  relations.  It  is  a  dual  biography  in  a 
nutshell;  "I  beseech  Euodia,  and  beseech  Syntyche, 
that  they  be  of  one  mind  in  the  Lord."  These  per- 
sons are  nowhere  else  referred  to.  The  outline  is 
faint  enough ;  yet  on  thoughtful  consideration  it  re- 
veals not  a  few  interesting  facts. 

L — The  persons  here  mentioned  were  women.  They 
were  members  of  the  Philippian  Church,  which  is 
often  spoken  of  as  a  *' Woman's  Church."  A  pecul- 
iar interest  attaches  to  its  origin.  Paul,  while  tarry- 
ing at  Troas,  on  the  border  of  the  ^gean  Sea,  saw  in 
a  vision  a  man  clad  in  Macedonian  garb  stretching 
out  his  hands  and  saying,  "  Come  over  and  help  us!" 
The  apostle  was  not  disobedient  unto  the  vision,  but 
immediately  took  ship  for  Europe  and  turned  his 
steps  forthwith  to  the  Macedonian  city  of  Philippi. 
On  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath,  he  set  out  to  find  the 
man  of  his  vision.    By  the  river-side,  in  a  place  where 

(14s) 


146  EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE. 

prayer  was  wont  to  be  made,  he  found  a  company  of 
women  assembled,  and  to  them  he  preached  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ.  The  heart  of  Lydia  the 
purple-seller  was  open  to  receive  the  truth.  Thus 
the  man  of  Paul's  vision  proved  to  be  a  woman ;  and 
this  was  the  beginning  of  the  Philippian  Church. 

It  is  frequently  said  by  way  of  criticism  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  of  the  entire  Christian  Church 
are  of  the  gentler  sex.  The  statement  is  true,  and  is 
to  be  partly  accounted  for,  perhaps,  by  the  fact  that 
women,  on  account  of  their  peculiar  life  and  occupa- 
tion, have  time  to  reflect  upon  the  great  problems  of 
eternity.  God  pity  the  men,  ever  in  the  madding 
crowd,  absorbed  in  secular  affairs,  who  find  so  little 
leisure  to  consider  the  welfare  of  their  immortal 
souls!  But  shall  the  fact  referred  to  be  regarded  as 
a  reflection  on  the  character  of  the  church  ?  Before 
we  leap  to  that  conclusion,  let  us  yoke  with  it  an- 
other fact,  to  wit:  Seven-eighths  of  the  inmates  of  our 
prisons  and  penitentiaries  are  men.  A  fair  deduction 
from  both  these  premises  can  place  no  discredit  upon 
the  church  for  her  preponderance  of  female  member- 
ship. Indeed  it  speaks  eloquently  for  her  thoughtful- 
ness  and  purity  of  character.  ' 

II. — We  are  given  to  understand  that  Euodia  and 
Syntyche  were  good  women.  There  is  much  in  a  name. 
Euodia  means  "fragrance;"  Syntyche  means  "happi- 
ness." We  are  informed  that  they  were  "laborers 
in  the  gospel."  It  is  probable  that  they  were  deacon- 
esses. In  those  days  it  was  a  fine  custom  to  appoint 
women  for  the  special  care  of  the  poor.  In  our  for- ' 
eign  missionary  work  we  have  found  it  necessary  to 
revive  that  custom,  in  some  measure,  for  zenana  visit- 


EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE.  I47 

ation.  The  homes  of  the  Orient  are  open  only  to 
women  visitors;  and  the  gospel  can  never  be  made 
effective  until  it  reaches  these  penetralia;  for  home  is 
the  centre  of  social  and  civil  life. 

We  have  a  further  intimation  as  to  the  character 
of  Euodia  and  Syntyche  in  the  statement  that  their 
names  were  written  '*in  the  book  of  life."  This 
means  more  than  good  and  regular  standing  in  the 
Philippian  Church;  it  leaves  no  question  as  to  their 
sincere  and  vital  fellowship  with  Christ. 

III. — These  good  women  were  not  of  one  mind.  It 
would  appear  that  their  disagreement  was  generally 
known  and  deplored  in  the  Philippian  Church. 

No  doubt  it  was  a  great  occasion  among  the  Chris- 
tians of  this  Macedonian  city  when  Paul's  letter  was 
publicly  read.  It  had  been  rumored  among  the  peo- 
ple that  such  a  letter  had  been  received  from  the  be- 
loved founder  of  the  church,  who  was  at  that  time  a 
prisoner  in  Rome.  And  there  v\^as  great  anticipation. 
At  the  appointed  hour  on  the  Lord's  Day  all  were 
present  to  hear  it.  A  deep  silence  rested  on  the  con- 
gregation as  the  reading  proceeded ;  but  there  was  a 
rustle  and  a  turning  of  faces  at  these  words:  ^^  I  be- 
seech Euodia  and  beseech  Sy?ityche,  that  they  be  of  the  same 
mind  in  the  Lord.'"  The  two  women,  who  probably  sat 
as  far  apart  as  possible  on  that  occasion,  must  have 
heard  with  tingling  ears.  It  was  fortunate  for  them  that 
their  flushed  cheeks  were  hidden  by  their  veils.  But 
still  more  distressed  and  mortified  would  they  have 
been,  had  they  known  that  their  names  were  to  be 
handed  down  to  posterity  only  in  connection  with 
their  unfortunate  estrangement. 

IV. —  The    quarrel  was  about   a    trifle.       We    infer 


148  EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE, 

this  from  the  fact  that  Paul  asked  for  no  investiga- 
tion of  their  case.  He  did  not  advise  that  they  be 
summoned  before  the  official  board.  Indeed  the 
whole  affair  would  appear  to  have  been  much  ado 
about  nothing.  It  may  have  originated  in  a  bit  of 
gossip,  a  flash  of  temper,  or  an  inadvertent  word. 

Is  it  not  true  that  most  disagreements  have  a  slight 
origin  ?  The  Koran  says  that  the  first  quarrel  was 
between  Adam  and  Eve  soon  after  leaving  Paradise, 
and  began  on  this  wise:  Eve  had  somehow  come  into 
possession  of  a  rude  mirror;  she  looked  and  saw 
therein  a  woman  who  smiled  at  her  in  a  supercilious 
manner,  as  if  to  say,  "You  think  yourself  fair ;  but  look 
on  me.  Ah,  wait  until  Adam  sees  me!  "  And  Eve, 
meeting  her  spouse,  forthwith  took  him  to  task  for  it. 

We  should  find  it  difficult  to  account  for  most  of 
our  likes  and  dislikes.  And  as  for  our  bitter  disa- 
greements, it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  justify 
them.      The  best  that  can  be  said  is, 

"  I  do  not  like  thee,  Dr.  Fell, 
The  reason  why  I  cannot  tell." 

V. — //  would  appear  that  both  wofnen  were  to  blame. 
This  may  be  inferred  from  their  having  an  equal 
interest  in  the  message:  "I  beseech  Euodia  and 
beseech  Syntyche. "  Had  it  been  otherwise  there 
might  have  been  some  uncertainty  as  to  which  should 
make  the  first  advances.  Being  equally  concerned  in 
the  disagreement,  they  should  emulate  each  other  in 
making  peace. 

It  takes  two  to  make  a  quarrel.  You  must  have 
flint  and  steel  or  you  will  get  no  spark.  There  is 
usually  a  quick  temper  on  either  side;  the  potency 
of  fire  in  both  steel  and  flint.     And  by  the  same  token 


EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE.  I49 

there  should  be  no  recrimination,  but  a  mutual  inter- 
est in  reparation  and  peace.  As  a  rule  the  less  blame- 
worthy of  the  parties  may  be  known  by  his  greater 
readiness  to  make  the  amende  honorable. 

VI.  —  The  results  of  this  quarrel  were  far-reaching. 
It  has  come  down  through  nineteen  hundred  years. 
It  casts  a  serious  reflection  on  the  character  of  the 
two  women.  It  was  a  scandal  in  the  Philippian 
Church  and  still  remains  as  a  reproach  to  it.  '*  How 
far  that  little  candle  throws  his  beams!  " 

The  Thirty  Years'  War,  with  its  terrific  blood- 
shed and  desolation,  began  in  a  frivolous  disagree- 
ment at  table.  A  marriage  had  been  arranged  be- 
tween the  houses  of  Neuburg  and  Brandenburg.  At 
the  splendid  espousal  feast,  the  elector  of  Branden- 
burg threw  a  glass  of  wine  into  the  face  of  his  intend- 
ed son-in-law.  The  youth  went  away  in  high  dud- 
geon, and  offered  his  hand  to  the  Princess  of  Bavaria. 
In  pursuance  of  that  union,  an  alliance  was  formed 
with  the  royal  house  of  Spain,  and  presently  Neu- 
burg and  his  army  marched  forth  to  engage  in  the 
long  and  bloody  war.  Nor  is  this  a  singular  instance. 
The  great  events  of  history  usually  turn  on  small 
pivots ;  and  not  infrequently  the  destiny  of  kingdoms 
is  determined  by  the  agreements  or  disagreements  of 
humble  men. 

VII.  —  We  do  not  knaiv  that  Euodia  and  Syntyche 
were  ever  reconciled  on  earth.  It  goes  without  saying 
that  they  are  friends  now;  for  is  it  not  written, 
*'  Their  names  are  in  the  book  of  life  "?  During  all 
these  centuries  they  have  been  in  the  Father's  house, 
where  there  are  no  quarrels,  but  all  see  face  to  face 
and  eye  to  eye. 


150  EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE. 

The  Scriptural  mode  of  adjusting  a  disagreement  is 
very  clear.  "  If  thy  brother  trespass  against  thee,  go 
and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone." 
Tell  hivi.  Tell  him  between  thee  and  him  alone.  The 
trouble  is  that  under  such  circumstances  we  are  likely 
to  tell  everybody  else  rather  than  the  one  who  has  of- 
fended against  us.  The  chasm  is  widened  by  thus 
blazoning  the  fault  abroad.  No  whispering  then  be- 
hind your  brother!  There  is  a  whole  panorama  of 
meanness  in  the  word  "  backbiting." 

And  again  it  is  written,  "  If  thou  bring  thy  gift  to 
the  altar,  and  there  rememberest  that  thy  brother 
hath  aught  against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before 
the  altar,  and  go  thy  way;  first  be  reconciled  to 
thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift."  If 
this  were  transcribed  into  our  vernacular,  it  would 
read  like  this:  "If  you  come  to  the  sanctuary  to  wor- 
ship God  and  discover  in  your  heart  any  hatred  or 
resentment ;  or  if  you  are  aware  that  any  of  the  breth- 
ren has  had  occasion  to  regard  you  in  an  unfriendly 
way,  be  assured  that  your  devotions  will  give  no 
sweet  savor  before  your  Father  in  heaven  until  you 
have  set  yourself  right  with  your  fellow  man." 

On  one  occasion  Peter  came  to  Jesus  saying  : 
"  Lord,  how  oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me,  and 
I  forgive  him  ?  till  seven  times  ?  "  It  was  a  question 
of  fine  casuistry.  The  Rabbi  Ben-Sira  had  said,  *'If 
thou  hast  a  grudge  against  thy  brother,  forgive  him 
twice  before  thou  cherish  it."  No  doubt  Peter 
thought  he  was  going  far  beyond  such  Jewish  nar- 
rowness in  suggesting  "seven  times.''  It  probably 
did  not  occur  to  him  that  the  placing  of  any  limit 
whatever  on  the  magnanimity  of  Christian  character 


EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE.  151 

gives  it  a  rank  foreign  savor  of  narrowness  and  exter- 
nalism.  And  Jesus  answered,  **  I  say  not  unto  thee, 
Until  seven  times;  but,  Until  seventy  times  seven." 
That  is,  the  world  of  mercy  knows  no  horizons. 
There  should  be  no  more  limit  to  our  mutual  forbear- 
ance than  there  is  to  the  grace  of  God. 

The  women  who  were  parties  to  this  Philippian 
quarrel  are  generic  types.  And  the  practical  applica- 
tion is  plain.  I  would  not  have  it  suspected  that  the 
occasion  of  the  present  discourse  is  any  quarrel  in 
the  Collegiate  Church ;  for  it  is  a  pleasure  to  say  that 
in  the  years  of  my  ministry  I  have  never  known  a 
personal  disagreement  among  you.  However,  it  is 
greatly  to  be  doubted  if  there  is  one  here  who  has 
viewed  this  ancient  quarrel  as  a  mere  ''looker  on  in 
Venice."  Have  you  no  grudges,  no  hatreds  nor  jeal- 
ousies ?  Is  your  heart  all  sweetness  and  light  ?  Are 
you  kindly  affectioned  toward  all  ?  Oh,  let  us  open 
our  souls  to  the  influence  of  the  heavenly  Dove  to- 
day! 

But  this  is  not  so  easy  as  might  appear.  The 
patching  up  of  a  disagreement  is  not  a  matter  for 
mere  resolution.  There  must  be  personal  explana- 
tion, concession,  perhaps  an  apology.  There  is  noth- 
ing harder  than  to  say,  *'  I  beg  your  pardon;"  but  a 
man  is  at  his  best  when  he  says  it.  This  is  what  Mil- 
ton calls  "the  lowly  loftiness  of  mind  which  is  exalt- 
ed by  its  own  humiliation."  A  knight's  tombstone 
in  England  bears  this  inscription : 

"  Here  lies  a  soldier  whom  all  must  applaud, 
Who  fought  many  battles  at  home  and  abroad; 
But  the  hottest  engagement  he  ever  was  in, 
Was  the  conquest  of  self  in  the  battle  with  sin," 


152  EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  man  of  sweeter  spirit 
than  John  Wesley,  if  we  may  credit  his  biographers. 
And  yet  there  was  an  occasion  on  which  Joseph  Brad- 
ford got  the  better  of  him.  He  had  asked  Bradford, 
his  familiar  friend,  to  carry  a  letter  to  the  post.  The 
reply  was,  **  After  service."  * 'Nay,  now. "  "  I  will 
not,  until  I  have  heard  thy  discourse."  '*  Then  our 
friendship  ceases."  *' Very  well,  so  be  it. "  Wesley 
preached,  and  Bradford  listened ;  the  benediction  was 
pronounced;  and  both  went  home  to  toss  upon  un- 
easy beds.  The  next  morning  Bradford  said,  "John, 
must  we  part  ?"  "  It  is  for  thee  to  say."  ''  Wilt  ask 
my  pardon  ?"  ''Nay,  never!  never!"  "Then  I  will 
ask  thine;  John,  forgive  me!"  The  ice  was  broken, 
and  they  were  friends  faithful  until  death. 

We  who  profess  to  follow  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
cannot  afford  to  endanger  our  inward  peace, 
jeopardize  our  reputation  and  bring  reproach  on  the 
goodly  fellowship  by  falling  out  along  the  way.  Oh, 
for  the  spirit  of  Nehemiah  and  those  who  labored  to- 
gether with  him !  We,  too,  are  temple-builders.  Our 
work  is  too  important,  our  life  is  too  brief,  for 
criminations  and  recriminations,  for  the  bickerings  of 
the  sordid,  selfish  life.  Let  this  be  our  word  to  the 
demons  of  enmity  who  thrust  out  the  lip  and  point 
the  finger  at  us  from  the  plain  of  Ono,  "I  am  do- 
ing a  great  work,  so  that  I  cannot  come  down !" 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  we  journey  always  on 
the  narrow  borders  of  the  eternal  world.  If  there  are 
bitternesses  to  be  healed  or  differences  to  compose, 
let  us  not  wait  until  the  shadows  enfold  us.  I  know 
of  no  more  pathetic  tale  than  that  of  the  chronic 
quarrel  of  Commodores  Barron  and  Decatur.      They 


EUODIA    AND    SYNTYCHE.  I53 

were  both  able  officers  who  had  served  the  United 
States  faithfully.  But  year  by  year  they  nursed  a 
petty  disagreement  until  it  found  its  dreadful  con- 
summation in  the  duello.  They  met  on  the  field, 
breathing  out  mutual  hatred ;  and  at  the  first  report, 
both  fell.  Side  by  side  they  lay  dying.  "Let  us 
make  friends,"  said  Barron,  "ere  we  meet  before  the 
throne  of  God."  "  I  never  have  been  your  enemy," 
replied  Decatur,  breathing  heavily,  "and  freely  for- 
give you  my  death."  "Would  to  God  that  you  had 
said  as  much  yesterday.  God  bless  thee,  Decatur!" 
"  God  bless  thee,  my  friend  !  " 

Of  all  sad  words  of  tongue  or  pen, 

The  saddest  are  these,  It  might  have  been.j 

I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  cross  of  Jesus 
Christ  that  ye  love  one  another  with  pure  hearts  fer- 
vently. I  beseech  you  by  the  Golden  Rule  that  ye 
expect  no  more  of  kindliness  from  your  fellows  than 
you  willingly  accord  to  them.  I  beseech  you  by  the 
hope  of  heaven  that  ye  entreat  one  another  as  chil- 
dren of  the  Father,  for  so  it  is  written:  "Ye  be 
brethren;  see  that  ye  fall  not  out  along  the  way" — 
"Be  ye  kindly  affectioned  one  toward  another;  in 
honor  preferring  one  another;  forgiving  one  another 
as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you." 


THE  IMMEASURABLE  GOD. 


Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out  God  ?  canst  thou  find  out  the  Almighty 
unto  perfection  ?  It  is  high  as  heaven;  what  canst  thou  do?  deeper  than 
hell;  what  canst  thou  know  ?  The  measure  thereof  is  longer  than  the 
earth,  and  broader  than  the  sea."— Job  ii,  7-9. 


In  all  satirical  literature  there  is  nothing  so  fine  as 
that  paragraph  in  Isaiah's  prophecy  which  pictures 
before  us  a  carpenter  measuring  a  god.  He  has 
brought  a  cedar  log  from  the  forest,  of  straight 
grain,  knotless  and  of  sound  heart,  '*  that  will  not 
rot."  He  stretches  out  his  rule  and  marks  it  with  a 
line,  and  makes  it  "according  to  the  beauty  of  a 
man."  He  surveys  it  with  speculation  in  his  eyes; 
for  this  god  must  not  be  over-tall  to  pass  under  the 
lintel,  nor  over-broad  to  be  carried  between  the  side- 
posts.  He  projects  the  figure  with  compass  and 
chalk-line;  and,  finding  the  log  too  long,  cuts  it  in 
two.  Then  he  hews  it  with  an  adze,  and  fashions  it  with 
a  chisel.  But,  anon,  the  pangs  of  hunger  are  upon 
him;  he  gathers  up  the  chips,  kindles  them,  and 
therewith  bakes  his  food.  He  stands  before  the  fire, 
rubbing  his  hands  and  saying,  "Aha  !  I  am  warm." 
And  having  satisfied  his  hunger,  he  turns  toward  the 
half-carven  image,  the  residue  of  the  cedar  log,  and 
cries,  "  Deliver  me,  for  thou  art  my  god  !  " 

(154) 


THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD.  1 55 

Let  US  attempt  the  impossible — the  measurement 
of  God.  But  not  in  this  workshop;  the  walls  are  too 
close,  the  air  is  too  stifling.  Let  us  go  forth  into  the 
illimitable  open,  under  the  lofty  canopy;  for  our  God 
is  a  great  God  above  all  gods, 

I.  As  to  his  stature.  How  great  is  He  ?  Let  us  call 
Solomon  to  our  help.  In  his  prayer  at  the  dedication 
of  the  temple  he  gave  us  this  measurement:  "Will 
God  indeed  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  Behold,  the  heaven 
and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  him." 
(I  Kings,  8,  27.) 

Men  have  builded  a  niche  for  Jupiter,  a  pedestal 
for  Thor,  a  shrine  for  Buddha.  But  God  stretcheth 
out  the  heavens  as  a  curtain,  and  he  covereth  himself 
with  light  as  with  a  garment.  Heaven  is  his  throne, 
the  earth  is  his  footstool.  The  tapestries  of  his 
chamber  are  the  glories  of  dawn  and  sunset.  The 
walls  of  his  temple  recede  infinitely  as  we  gaze  upon 
them.  He  dwelleth  in  light  and  glory  unapproach- 
able and  amid  voices  of  adoration  that  are  as  the 
sound  of  many  waters  and  mighty  thunderings. 

*'  The  Lord  our  God  is  full  of  might ; 

The  winds  obey  his  will. 
He  speaks,  and,  in  the  heavenly  height. 

The  rolling  sun  stands  still. 
His  voice  sublime  is  heard  afar, 

In  distant  fields  it  dies  ; 
He  yokes  the  whirlwind  to  his  car 

And  sweeps  the  howling  skies." 

The  word  that  expresses  the  greatness  of  his  per- 
sonality is  omnipresence.  "Whither  shall  I  go  from 
thy  Spirit  ?  or  whither  shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence? 
If  I  ascend  up  into  heaven,  thou  art  there  :  If  I  make 


156  THE   IMMEASURABLE    GOD. 

my  bed  in  hell,  behold,  thou  art  there.  If  I  take  the 
wings  of  the  morning,  and  dwell  in  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  sea;  even  there  shall  thy  hand  lead  me, 
and  thy  right  hand  shall  hold  me.  If  I  say,  '  Surely 
the  darkness  shall  cover  me;  even  the  night  shall  be 
light  about  me.'  Yea,  the  darkness  hideth  not  from 
thee  :  but  the  night  shineth  as  the  day :  the  darkness 
and  the  light  are  both  alike  to  thee." 

II.  As  to  his  lifetime.  Let  us  call  Moses  to  aid  us: 
*'  Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling  place  in  all  gen- 
erations. Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth, 
or  ever  thou  hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world, 
even  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  thou  art  God." 
(Ps.  90,  I,  2.)  Again  we  are  in  the  region  of  great 
dimensions.  From  everlasting  to  everlasting  !  He 
is  the  sempiternal  One. 

"  The  days  of  our  years  are  threescore  years  and 
ten ;  and  if  by  reason  of  strength  they  be  fourscore 
years,  yet  is  their  strength  labor  and  sorrow;  for  it 
is  soon  cut  off  and  we  fly  away."  "  The  days  of  the 
years  of  Methuselah  were  nine  hundred  and  sixty  and 
nine  years  —  and  he  died."  And  the  gods  of  our 
handiwork  are  more  ephemeral  than  we.  The  carven 
wood  falls  asunder  of  dry  rot,  and  the  graven  statue 
crumbles  into  dust.  But  Jehovah  is  from  everlasting 
to  everlasting.  Centuries  come  and  go,  but  he  abid- 
eth.  Chaos  and  cosmos,  principalities  and  powers; 
Egypt,  Babylon,  Rome;  Caesar,  Alexander,  Napo- 
leon,— thrones,  dynasties,  great  powers, — all  are  as 
spectres  passing  in  a  dream.  **  The  cloud-capped 
towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces,  the  solemn  temples, 
the  great  globe  itself,  yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall 
dissolve;  and,  like  this  insubstantial  pageant  faded, 


THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD.  I57 

leave  not  a  rack  behind,"  But  God  is  the  same,  yes- 
terday, to-day  and  forever.  He  was  before  the  be- 
ginning; and  he  shall  be  after  the  end. 

The  word  which  expresses  his  lifetime  is  Eternity. 
His  being  transcends  time.  No  pendulum  swings — 
no  hour  hand  moves  along  the  dial.  To  him  there  is 
no  yesterday,  to-day,  or  to-morrow;  there  is  no  suc- 
cession of  events.  His  life  is  Functum  stansj  the  ever- 
lasting now. 

Eternity  with  all  its  years 

Stands  present  to  thy  view: 
To  thee  there's  nothing  old  appears, 

Great  God,  there's  nothing  new. 

III.  As  to  the  measure  of  his  mind.  Here  let  us  sum- 
mon Isaiah  to  assist  us:  ''My  thoughts  are  not  your 
thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith  the 
Lord ;  for  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth, 
so  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways  and  my 
thoughts  higher  than  your  thoughts. "  (Isa.  55,  8,  9.) 
Here  again  we  are  in  the  region  of  great  dimensions. 
How  high  are  the  heavens  above  the  earth  ?  Our 
largest  visible  neighbor  is  the  sun;  it  is  ninety-five 
millions  of  miles  away.  The  Empire  State  Express 
would  require  a  millennium  to  carry  us  there;  and 
once  at  our  destination  we  should  see  a  shining  orb 
so  far  distant  that  a  cannon  ball  flying  with  the  ra- 
pidity of  light  would  require  some  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  years  to  reach  it.  But  this  would  only  mark 
the  nearer  verge  of  the  infinite  concave  of  the  heav- 
ens. And  herein  we  find  some  slight  expression  of 
the  infinitude  of  the  mind  of  God. 

The  measure  of  mind  is  thought.  How  little  are 
our  thoughts!     Farturiunt  mofites j  nascetur   ridiculus 


158  THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD. 

mus.  We  reach  our  intellectual  best  and  highest 
when,  as  Keppler  says,  '*we  are  thinking  God's 
thoughts  after  him. "  There  are  three  of  his  thoughts 
by  which  we  may  measure  his  mind: 

1.  His  thought  of  the  world.  He  has  declared  his 
purpose  to  save  it.  A  lesser  one  would  have  cast  it 
away,  in  its  rebellion,  as  a  father  disowns  a  wayward 
and  incorrigible  son.  History  is  the  demonstration 
of  his  great  purpose.  To  us  events  are  threads  and 
thrums,  so  that,  confused  and  bewildered,  we  wonder 
what  the  outcome  will  be.  The  problem  is  full  of 
minor  problems  and  equations,  all  working  toward 
an  ultimate  quod  erat  demo7istrandum.  The  key  is  Re- 
demption. The  Flood,  the  Confusion  of  Tongues, 
the  Jewish  Dispersion,  the  Cross,  the  Great  Commis- 
sion, Magna  Charta,  the  Reformation,  Waterloo,  the 
rise  and  fall  of  kingdoms  and  dynasties,  are  minor 
equations.  One  great  thought  runs  through  them 
all,  glorious,  eternal,  proceeding  with  calm  continu- 
ity toward  the  great  consummation,  the  Golden  Age. 

2.  Another  of  God's  thoughts  is  concerning  man.  We 
have  but  a  poor  opinion  of  ourselves.  In  one  of  our 
favorite  hymns  we  confess  ourselves  to  be  "worms 
of  the  dust."  Those  who  move  in  scientific  circles, 
while  criticising  this  contemptuous  expression, 
straightway  proceed  to  prove  themselves  mere  earth- 
worms ;  born  of  bathybius ;  coming  up  to  their 
present  estate  through  a  procession  of  bestial  ances- 
tors by  the  operation  of  such  inevitable  laws  as  natu- 
ral selection  and  survival  of  the  fittest ;  their  brain 
mere  phosphorus;  their  reflections  and  moral  convic- 
tions the  result  of  atomic  friction;  creatures  of  cir- 
cumstance, bound  for  oblivion  and  a  dusty  grave. 


THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD.  I59 

But  God  thinks  better  things  of  us.  We  are  his  chil- 
dren, made  in  his  likeness  and  after  his  image,  his 
breath  in  our  nostrils,  inheriting  a  glorious  birthright, 
capable  of  magnificent  accomplishments,  with  sublime 
possibilities  before  us,  our  destination  eternal  life. 
Again  the  key  is  Calvary.  We  live  like  denizens  of 
the  earth;  but  the  divine  purpose  in  Christ  Jesus  is 
to  make  us  forever  "kings  and  priests  unto  God." 

3.  And  then,  the  great  thought  of  ??ta?is  relation  to  the 
world.  God  might,  perhaps,  have  lifted  the  earth 
back  into  its  moral  orbit  by  main  strength.  Or  he 
might,  in  a  great  sunburst,  have  flooded  it  with  light. 
But  he  said,  "  I  will  use  men  for  its  deliverance." 
We  are  his  appointed  agents  in  this  blessed  work. 
We  strive  together,  in  a  goodly  fellowship,  by  his  ap- 
pointment and  under  the  power  of  his  Spirit,  for  the 
accomplishment  of  his  purpose  in  the  restitution  of 
all  things.  "Go  ye,  evangelize!"  Sinners  are  to 
save  a  sinful  world.  It  is  a  great  business  to  which 
we  are  called,  and  well  calculated  to  stimulate  all  our 
noble  energies  and  to  develop  to  the  uttermost  all 
the  possibilities  within  us. 

At  this  moment  we  are  witnessing  the  effort  of 
the  Great  Powers  to  dismember  China.  The  "war 
lord  "  and  his  imperial  rivals,  with  their  brutal  colo- 
nial policies,  are  hovering  like  highway  robbers  on 
the  borders  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  each  intent  upon 
securing  a  portion  of  its  territory,  with  no  more  show 
of  right  than  can  be  discovered  in  "the  good  old 
plan,  that  he  may  take  who  has  the  power,  and  he 
ma}^  keep  who  can."  And  God  permits  it.  Do  we 
wonder  why  ?  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  do  set  them- 
selves, and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together,  saying, 


l6o  THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD. 

Let  US  break  his  bands  asunder  and  cast  away  his 
cords  from  us.  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall 
laugh;  the  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision."  Who 
knows  but  that  in  the  divine  purpose  the  servants  of 
God,  working  together  in  that  great  living  organism 
which  we  call  the  Church,  shall  yet  pursue  the  impe- 
rial robbers  as  they  make  off  with  this  stolen  terri- 
tory and,  after  the  calm  methods  of  a  blessed  evan- 
gelization, seize  the  plunder  and  bring  it,  a  "Celes- 
tial Empire"  indeed,  to  be  laid  triumphantly  at  the 
Redeemer's  feet  ? 

IV.  As  to  the  conscience  of  God.  Why  not  ?  It  is  true 
that  metaphysicians,  philosophers  and  theologians 
have  made  a  strange  omission  here.  Does  not  the 
moral  faculty  mark  the  highest  dignity  of  man  ?  Are 
we  not  made  after  the  divine  likeness  ?  The  moral 
sense  is  an  inner  vision  by  which  we  discern  "be- 
tween the  worse  and  better  reason,"  and  an  index 
finger  which  always  points  us  toward  the  right.  God 
himself  is  the  source  and  center  of  moral  distinctions. 
It  is  proper  then  to  speak  of  his  conscience,  although 
we  may  be  unable  to  measure  it. 

Let  David  help  us  at  this  juncture:  "Thy  right- 
eousness, O  Lord,  is  like  the  great  mountains;  thy 
judgments  are  a  great  deep."  (Psa.  2>^,  6.)  And 
Paul  also;  "  O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the 
wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God!  how  unsearchable 
are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out!" 
(Rom.  II,  2>Z')  Our  conscience  is  like  a  rusted 
needle  on  the  pivot  of  a  mariner's  compass;  it  sticks 
and  creaks  and  trembles,  in  its  effort  to  point  north- 
ward. But  God's  righteousness  is  like  the  great 
mountains   which    are    unmoved   by   the  winds   and 


THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD.  l6l 

tempests  that  sweep  over  them.  It  is  like  the  mighty- 
deep  which  keeps  an  unruffled  calm  beneath  the 
storms  that  superficially  trouble  it.  His  court  is  a 
court  of  equity;  he  issues  no  misjudgments.  "Shall 
not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  ? "  The  scep- 
ter of  the  Lord  is  a  right  scepter;  his  ways  are  right; 
his  judgments  are  right;  his  statutes  are  right  forever 
and  ever. 

The  word  which  expresses  the  divine  conscience  is 
Holiness.  All  heaven  rings  with  the  angelic  tribute, 
"Holy,  holy,  holy!  Lord  God  Almighty!"  And  the 
word  which  marks  the  highest  attainment  of  human 
character  is,  Godliness;  that  is,  God-likeness.  To 
keep  our  moral  decisions  in  line  with  the  divine  will, 
to  determine  all  questions  in  casuistry  by  Revelation, 
to  bring  our  conscience  into  such  harmony  with  the 
divine  conscience  that  our  wills  shall  never  cross  his 
will, — this  is  to  grow  unto  the  full  stature  of  a  man 

V.  As  to  the  heart  of  God.  Here  again  the  measure 
ment  is  infinite.  "As  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west 
so  far  hath  he  removed  our  transgressions  from  us.' 
(Ps.  103,  12.)  How  far  is  the  east  from  the  west 
Turn  the  prow  of  your  vessel  toward  the  setting  sun 
sail  on  forever  and  you  shall  never  reach  it. 

"For  the  love  of  God  is  broader 

Than  the  measure  of  man's  mind; 
And  the  heart  of  the  Eternal 
Is  most  wonderfully  kind." 

It  was  the  desire  of  David  that  his  heart  might  be 
enlarged.  But  under  the  dominion  of  sin  our  capa- 
bilities are  so  limited  that  no  man's  heart  is  ever  so 
great  that  his  narrow  breast  cannot  hold  it.  "Mag- 
nanimity "  is  a  splendid  word;  but  how  trivial  when 


1 62  THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD. 

compared  with  the  love  of  the  Infinite.  This  expresses 
itself  in  three  progressive  and  cumulative  words: 

The  first  is  Pity.  "Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his 
children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him." 
At  once  we  recall  the  picture  of  David  staggering  up 
the  winding  stairway  to  his  chamber  on  the  house 
top,  crying,  "O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son!  Would 
God  I  had  died  for  thee!  "  But  pity  of  itself  is  help- 
less. Absalom  was  beyond  the  reach  of  his  father's 
love. 

The  second  is  Mercy.  It  is  more  than  pity,  for  it 
has  an  eager  hand.  The  picture  that  comes  to  us  is 
that  of  the  good  Samaritan  gazing  with  compassionate 
eyes  on  the  wounded  stranger,  crossing  over,  and 
ministering  to  his  need.  But  there  is  a  point  at 
which  mercy  is  unavailing.  The  wounds  of  the  way- 
laid traveler  may  be  beyond  all  service  of  wine 
and  oil. 

The  third  is  Grace.  It  is  more  than  pity  with  tear- 
ful eye;  more  than  mercy  with  outstretched  hand;  it 
is  an  "arm  made  bare" — an  omnipotent  arm,  bared 
for  a  mighty  task.  God's  love  finds  its  supreme 
expression  in  his  grace  as  manifest  on  Calvary.  It  is 
his  power  to  save.  Here  is  the  solution  of  the 
problem,  "  How  can  God  be  just  and  yet  the  justifier 
of  the  ungodly?"  and  of  that  other,  "  How  shall  a 
man  be  just  with  God?" 

To  measure  the  heart  of  the  Infinite,  we  must  get 
the  dimensions  of  the  cross.  We  call  it  the  ' '  accursed 
tree."  Rather,  it  is  the  tree  of  life;  its  roots  deep  as 
hell,  its  crown  in  heaven,  its  branches,  laden  with  the 
fruits  of  life,  reaching  out  to  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth.     On  the  cross  the  only-begotten   Son  of 


THE    IMMEASURABLE    GOD.  163 

God  tasted  death  for  every  man.  From  the  cross  he 
offers  redemption  to  the  uttermost,  not  to  respect- 
able sinners  only,  but  to  thieves,  harlots  and  repro- 
bates. By  the  cross  he  saves  utterly;  nailing  our 
indictment  there,  blotting  out  our  sin,  sinking  it  into 
the  depths  of  an  unfathomable  sea,  washing  us,  though 
stained  as  scarlet  and  crimson,  until  we  are  whiter 
than  snow.  This  is  the  measure:  **  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son  to  suffer 
and  die  for  it."  That  "so"  is  spelled  with  two  let- 
ters, but  it  is  vast  enough  to  girdle  the  sin-stricken 
world  and  bind  it  back  to  God. 

I  said  at  the  outset  we  were  to  address  ourselves  to 
an  impossible  task.  All  the  dimensions  by  which  we 
have  sought  to  measure  God  have  been  infinite.  His 
person  is  so  vast  that  the  heaven  and  the  heaven  of 
heavens  cannot  contain  it.  His  lifetime  is  so  long 
that  it  stretches  from  everlasting  to  everlasting.  His 
mind  is  so  great  that  his  thoughts  are  high  above 
ours  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth.  His  con- 
science is  like  the  high  mountains  and  the  mighty 
deep.  And  his  heart  finds  expression  in  the  removal 
of  our  sins  as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west.  Verily, 
our  God  is  a  great  God  above  all  gods.  No  golden 
band  can  compass  his  brow,  no  girdle  bind  his  loins, 
no  measuring  line  be  laid  upon  l^.im. 

Our  last  word  is  a  word  of  prayer.  In  Paul's  letter 
to  his  Ephesian  friends  he  desired  them  to  form  a 
just  conception  of  the  majesty  of  the  God  of  Salva- 
tion as  contrasted  with  that  "Great  Diana"  under 
the  walls  of  whose  temple  they  dwelt.  "  For  this 
cause,"  he  says,  "  I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  the  whole  family  in 


164  THE    IMMEASt?RABLE    GOD. 

heaven  and  earth  is  named,  that  he  would  grant  you, 
according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory,  to  be  strengthened 
with  might  by  his  Spirit  in  the  inner  man  ;  that  Christ 
may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith;  that  ye,  being 
rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may  be  able  to  compre- 
hend with  all  saints,  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length, 
and  depth,  and  height ;  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ, 
which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  might  be  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God." 

In  this  prayer  he  seems  to  be  standing  in  a  temple, 
vast  and  magnificent,  whose  walls  forever  recede  as 
he  gazes;  above,  below,  on  either  hand  stretching 
away  inimitably.  In  view  of  this  contemplation,  how 
other  gods  dwindle  and  shrivel  into  naught.  One 
alone  remaineth  ;  infinite,  eternal,  unchangeable. 
Canst  thou  by  searching  find  Him  out  unto  perfec- 
tion ?  The  measure  thereof  is  longer  than  the  earth, 
and  broader  than  the  sea.  He  is  a  great  God  above 
all  gods ! 


HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

"  By  faith  we  understand  that  the  worlds  have  been  framed  by  the  word 
of  God."— Heb.  ii,  3. 

The  question  of  Origins  is  of  universal  interest. 
The  child's  bewildered  eyes  are  asking,  "Whence 
came  I,  and  these  things  about  me  ?"  And  it  is  a 
problem  for  the  wisest  minds,  as  well.  Napoleon 
on  the  deck  of  a  frigate  on  the  Mediterranean,  over- 
hearing his  marshals  deny  the  personal  God,  pauses 
to  point  to  the  stars  and  ask,  "  But,  gentlemen, 
whence  came  these  ?  " 

How  shall  we  solve  the  query  ?  By  sight  ?  Impos- 
sible. The  facts  lie  beyond  human  cognizance. 
"  Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man,"  says  God,  out 
of  the  whirlwind  ;  "for  I  will  require  of  thee,  and  an- 
swer thou  me,  Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  earth  ?  " 

Or  shall  we  rest  on  hearsay  ?  There  is  no  lack  of 
legends  and  traditions.  Of  making  cosmogonies 
there  is  no  end.  The  wise  men  of  the  past  have  wea- 
ried themselves  in  vain  speculations;  they  have  little 
to  offer  us. 

Let  us  inquire  of  the  Greeks.  Their  philosophers 
should  be  able  to  help  in  this  investigation  if  there  is 
any  appreciable  value  in  mere  human  wisdom.      The 

(165) 


1 66  HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

Starting  point  in  their  cosmogony,  as  elucidated  by 
Thales,  is  water.  In  process  of  time  it  is  wrought 
upon  by  an  all-pervading  energy,  as  the  body  is  ani- 
mated by  the  soul.  Out  of  this  energy  proceed,  in 
some  inscrutable  manner,  all  existing  things.  But 
there  is  no  solution  of  the  mystery  here.  The  Gor- 
dian  knot  is  cut  ;  but  we  are  left  still  to  ask, 
"Whence  the  primal  element  and  the  pervading 
essence  ?  " 

Let  us  turn,  then,  to  the  Babylonians.  The  start- 
ing point  in  their  natural  philosophy  is  darkness. 
Out  of  the  darkness  proceeds  a  race  of  monsters. 
The  mighty  Belus  slays  a  giantess,  of  half  her  body 
he  makes  the  heavens,  of  the  other  half  the  earth; 
and,  mixing  her  blood  with  the  dust,  he  produces 
man. 

What  have  the  Hindus  to  say  ?  They,  too,  begin 
with  darkness.  In  the  darkness  is  a  golden  egg;  the 
egg  breaks,  and  Brahma  issues  forth.  He  turns  and 
makes  of  half  the  shell  the  heavens,  of  the  other  half 
the  earth.  Out  of  his  own  body  proceed  the  various 
castes  of  men. 

The  Scandinavians  place  the  Origin  of  all  things 
in  a  profound  chasm,  wherein  a  conflict  is  going  on 
between  Fire  and  Ice.  Out  of  this  conflict  emerges  a 
race  of  giants.  Ymyr,  mightiest  among  them,  is 
slain:  his  flesh  produces  the  earth;  his  bones,  the 
mountains;  his  hair,  the  forests;  his  blood,  the  seas 
and  rivers;  his  skull,  the  dome  of  heaven;  and  from 
his  eyebrows  is  made  a  wall  around  the  earth  to 
prevent  its  inhabitants  from  falling  off. 

And  last,  we  inquire  of  the  Egyptians.  Their 
starting-point  is  a  promiscuous  pulp,  from  which  the 


HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED.  167 

elements  separate  of  their  own  accord.  The  mass 
takes  fire,  and  the  upper  portion  warms  the  lower 
into  life.  From  beneath  creep  forth  the  reptiles,  and 
out  of  the  rising  smoke  the  winged  creatures  of  the 
air.  The  ooze  of  the  river-bed — not  unlike  the  evo- 
lutionist's bathybiiis — furnishes  the  material  for  man. 

Such  are  the  results  of  the  efforts  of  human  wis-  4 
dom  to  produce  a  rational  cosmology.  We  shall 
probably  agree  that  little  or  no  information  is  to  be 
derived  from  this  source.  We  turn,  therefore,  from 
speculation  to  science.  Our  century  has  been  marked 
by  a  continuous  effort  on  the  part  of  scientists  to 
produce  a  rational  theory  of  the  universe;  this  effort 
being  complicated,  in  some  quarters,  by  an  avowed 
purpose  to  eliminate  God.  The  results  are  not  en- 
couraging. The  reason  is  plain;  the  scientific  method 
is  induction;  it  deals  with  facts  and  inferences.  In 
this  province  there  can  be  no  hypothesis,  for  scire  is 
"  to  know."  The  facts  which  stand  as  premises  must 
be  visible  and  tangible.  The  argument  is  that  of 
cause  and  effect.  But  an  origin  is  an  entity  without 
a  visible  cause;  it  is  not  to  be  accounted  for  by  any 
operation  of  natural  laws.  The  pure  scientist  has 
thus  a  necessary  limitation,  and  frankly  admits  it. 
Science  has  its  magnificent  functions,  but  it  cannot 
speak  of  origins  with  authority.  It  leaves  unan- 
swered the  great  primal  question,  '  Whence  came  I, 
and  these  things  about  me  ?  " 

So  there  is  nothing  left  but  Revelation.  Faith  be- 
gins where  science  ends.  It  rests  on  divine  author- 
ity. We  turn,  therefore,  to  the  Mosaic  account  of 
the  Creation.  "  By  faith  we  understand  that  the 
worlds  have  been  framed  by  the  word  of  God." 


l68         HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

But  where  did  Moses  get  his  information  ?  To  say- 
that  his  record  is  a  patchwork  of  current  legends  and 
traditions,  is  but  to  put  the  difficulty  further  back. 
The  truth  in  cosmology,  wherever  found,  must  be 
by  a  direct  revelation  from  God.  But  how  ?  The 
word  "revelation,"  or  unveiling^  describes  the  proba- 
ble method.  One  may  not  speak  dogmatically  here; 
but  there  is  force  in  the  suggestion  of  Hugh  Miller, 
that  Moses  received  the  divine  communication  in  a 
series  of  panoramic  visions.  This  is,  indeed,  after 
the  analogy  of  the  usual  divine  method.  The  seer, 
wrapped  in  an  ecstatic  trance,  beholds  a  moving 
procession  of  events,  broken  by  intervals  of  dark- 
ness, which  are  naturally  characterized  as  night. 
Let  us  put  ourselves  in  the  dreamer's  place  and  see 
what  passed  before  him. 

On  the  first  canvas  is  a  portrayal  of  chaos;  a  molten 
ball  enveloped  in  igneous  vapors.  There  is  a  conflict 
between  the  inward  fires  and  the  cooling  winds  from 
the  illimitable  fields  of  space.  The  outer  surface  of 
the  earth  is  congealed  again  and  again,  only  to  be 
ruptured  by  the  inward  heat  and  thrown  up  into 
vast  ridges  of  granite,  "  like  ice-floes  in  a  polar  sea." 
The  rising  vapors  are  condensed  in  torrents  of  rain 
that  pour  down  on  the  earth's  surface,  to  be  thrown 
back  like  water  striking  a  white-hot  cylinder.  It  is 
a  hopeless  battle.  The  fires  are  worsted ;  the  earth 
gradually  cools.  A  film  forms  over  the  molten  sea; 
the  primeval  forms  of  continents  appear.  At  length 
the  rains  find  a  lodgment  and  the  rivers  race  toward 
the  lower  levels  forming  the  primal  seas.  All  is 
darkness  and  turmoil;  reverberating  artillery  of  the 
heavens,   with   fierce  flashes  of   electric   fire;    black 


HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED.        I  69 

night  and  confusion  worse  confounded.  Then  a 
voice,  "Let  there  be  light  !"  And  light  is  born; 
not  in  an  instant,  for  this  is  cosmic  light.  A  glim- 
mer here  and  there  reveals  the  unspeakable  disorder 
of  the  frightful  gloom ;  the  glow  brightens  more  and 
more,  as  light  glimmers  through  a  London  fog. — 
The  scene  shifts.  There  is  an  interval  of  silence  and 
darkness.  "  The  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
first  day." 

In  the  secojid  scene  the  clouds  have  lifted.  The 
upper  and  the  lower  firmament  are  parted  asunder; 
the  outlines  of  continents  and  seas  become  plainly- 
visible.  The  great  canopy  has  been  lifted  overhead, 
and  between  that  and  the  earth  beneath  sweep  tem- 
pests of  corrosive  gases.  Of  this  period  alone  it  is 
not  w^ritten.  "And  the  Lord  said,  It  is  very  good." 
As  yet  the  atmosphere  can  sustain  no  form  of  organic 
being.  The  world  is  getting  ready  for  life. — The 
curtain  falls.  The  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
second  day. 

The  third  vision  is  of  a  great  steaming  greenhouse. 
From  the  sluggish  waters  springs  a  luxuriant  vegeta- 
tion. This  is  the  age  of  bulbous  plants,  of  sigillaria, 
and  lycopodia,  of  ferns  springing  aloft,  like  towering 
pines,  growing  in  incredible  luxuriance,  rapidly  de- 
caying, and  falling  upon  one  another  until  the  steam- 
ing earth  seems  like  a  vast  tamarack  swamp.  It  is  the 
carboniferous  age.  Forces  are  being  bottled  up  for 
coming  time. — The  eyes  of  the  dreamer  close.  The 
evening  and  the  morning  were  the  third  day. 

On  the  fourth  canvas  are  seen  glimmering  points  of 
light  in  the  firmament  above.  Thus  far  there  has  been 
only  cosmic  light.     The  sun,  moon  and  stars  now  ap- 


lyo         HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

pear  in  distinct  outline;  with  them  come  the  divisions 
of  time.  The  pendulum  begins  to  swing.  The  prepara- 
tion goes  on  for  summer  and  winter  and  seed-time 
and  harvest.  The  world  is  getting  ready  for  history. 
-—The  scene  shifts.  The  evening  and  the  morning 
were  the  fourth  day. 

The  fifth  vision  brings  in  the  lower  orders  of  animal 
life.  The  egg-bearers  appear;  reptiles  and  fishes  and 
birds.  Here  are  creatures  with  eye-sockets  a  foot  in 
diameter.  Here  are  birds  that  leave  mighty  foot- 
prints on  the  soft  formative  rocks;  lizards  thirty  feet 
long  are  crawling  in  the  slime. — And  the  evening  and 
the  morning  were  the  fifth  day. 

The  sixth  shows  the  mammals  or  higher  forms  of  life. 
The  earth  is  teeming  with  them, — beasts  of  the  field 
and  forest,  of  great  rhinoceri  and  mastodons.  There 
are  ivory  mines  in  Siberia  which  have  been  worked 
for  a  century  and  are  still  unexhausted. — And  on  this 
canvas,  last  of  all,  supreme  and  pre-eminent,  appears 
man,  having  dominion  over  all  living  things,  erect 
and  sovereign,  v/ith  face  uplifted  toward  heaven  and 
God;  as  it  is  written,  "And  God  created  man  in  his 
own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him." — 
And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  sixth 
day. 

Then  the  Sabbath.  God  has  entered  into  his  rest. 
"In  six  days  the  Lord  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  and  rested  the  seventh  day."  He  left  this 
period  of  rest  as  a  heritage  to  those  whom  he  had 
created  after  his  own  likeness  and  for  his  own  glory. 
Wherefore,  it  is  written,  "the  Lord  blessed  the  Sab- 
bath day  and  hallowed  it." 

How  imposing  this  record   as  compared  with  the 


HOW   THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED.  171 

puerile  and  grotesque  cosmogonies  of  the  false  re- 
ligions !  What  simplicity  !  What  reasonableness  ! 
What  an  absolute  tone  of  certainty!  It  makes  no 
appeal  to  those  who  reject  the  supernatural;  but  it 
rests  as  the  ultimate  and  authoritative  record  for  all 
those  who  believe  in  the  unseen  and  eternal.  By 
faith,  and  by  faith  alone,  we  understand  that  the 
worlds  have  been  framed  by  the  word  of  God. 

Our  attention  is  called  in  this  account  to  three  stu- 
pendous facts;  they  are  set  forth  in  the  words  with 
which  the  Scripture  opens,  BWeshith^  Elohim^  Bara; 
that  is,  "  In  the  beginning"  "God"  "Created." 

1.  A  beginning.  There  is  no  beginning  in  any  other 
cosmology;  there  is  always  something  inscrutable  be- 
yond. For  this  reason  there  is  a  disposition  among 
those  who  reject  the  Scriptural  record  to  follow 
Plato  in  affirming  the  eternity  of  matter.  This,  how- 
ever, is  but  an  ignominious  surrender  of  the  problem. 
In  the  Scriptures  we  are  carried  back  beyond  man, 
organic  life,  cosmos,  chaos,  matter,  nebula,  into 
silence  and  solitude.  And  here  we  face  the  Great 
Original. 

2.  God.  Back  of  the  framing  of  the  worlds,  we  con- 
front him,  "Source  of  all  being,  throned  afar."  We 
have  not  reached  a  blank  domain  of  vacuity  or  noth- 
ingness. We  stand  in  the  doorway  of  the  King's 
audience-chamber,  saying,  "  Before  the  mountains 
were  brought  forth,  or  ever  thou  hadst  formed  the 
earth  and  the  world,  even  from  everlasting  to  evt^r- 
lasting,  thou  art  God  !  "  And  from  within  there 
comes  an  answering  voice,  "I  am  that  I  am." 

3.  Creation.  The  word  Bara  suggests  the  making 
of  something  out  of  nothing.      Do  you  say,  "  Impos- 


172  HOW   THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

sible  !  "  Do  you  quote  the  venerable  maxim,  Ex 
nihilo  nihil  fit  ?  But  how  do  we  know  ?  All  that  we  mean 
when  we  say  that  out  of  nothing  nothing  comes,  is 
that  we  never  saw  it.  In  the  nature  of  the  case  there 
can  be  no  analogy.  But  let  us  not  undertake  to 
measure  God  by  the  rules  of  human  life  and  action. 
All  things  are  possible  w4th  God  and  nothing  is  too 
hard  for  him.  We  are  like  schoolboys  in  the  play- 
ground, at  recess,  talking  sagely  about  the  infinite 
and  indeterminable  in  loud,  swelling  words;  the  mas- 
ter comes,  and  what  a  scampering  now  !  Thus  God 
appears,  when  we  in  our  proud  wisdom  have  said  our 
utmost,  and  speaks:  "Ye  do  err,  not  knowing  the 
power  of  God." 

We  observe  also  in  the  Mosaic  record  of  creation 
th?'ce  points  of  strikifig  coincidence  with  the  announce- 
ments of  true  science.  And  indeed  there  can  be 
no  real  discrepancy.  The  same  God  who  wrote 
the  Scriptures  has  left  himself  on  record  in  the 
stone  book  of  nature.  They  must  agree,  for  they 
bear  the  same  imprimatur. 

I,  The  creative  day.  "In  six  days  the  Lord  made 
the  heavens  and  the  earth."  But  there  are  objectors 
who  say:  All  research  goes  to  prove  that  the  periods 
of  creation  were  of  interminable  length.  The  chalk 
cliffs,  for  example,  are  a  product  of  animal  life,  being 
composed  of  the  shells  of  minute  submarine  crea- 
tures. It  is  calculated  that  it  would  require  a  hun- 
dred years  to  produce  a  layer  of  a  single  foot ;  yet 
there  are  chalk  cliffs  on  the  coast  of  England  a  thou- 
sand feet  deep,  and  beneath  those  cliffs  are  granite 
formations  whose  construction  must  have  required 
some    millions    or    perhaps   billions   of  years.      How 


HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED.         I  73 

then  could  the  world  have  been  framed  in  six  solar 
days  ? — But  who  said  it  was  ?  Certainly  not  Script- 
ure. Such  an  assertion  is  in  direct  contravention  of 
the  record.  The  Scriptures  are  not  to  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  the  statements  of  foolish  expositors. 
The  word  used  to  indicate  the  creative  day  is  Yovi. 
The  same  is  also  used  in  Gen.  ii,  4,  to  denote  the  en- 
tire creative  week.  It  is  used  m  Leviticus  xxv,  29,  to 
indicate  the  year  of  jubilee.  It  is  used  in  Jeremiah 
xlvi,  21,  with  reference  to  the  long  campaign  of  Pha- 
raoh-Xecho.  It  is  used  again  in  Ezekiel  iii,  3,  of 
the  millennium  ;  that  is,  the  thousand  years  of  the 
earthly  reign  of  Christ.  In  Psalm  ii,  7,  it  is  made  to 
cover  all  eternity.  In  these  and  other  similar  uses  of 
the  word  we  are  given  to  understand  that  it  means 
an  indefinite  period.  We  are  not  to  think  of  God  as 
a  day  laborer  toiling  between  sunrise  and  sunset,  and 
resting  through  the  night.  He  makes  no  haste.  He 
works  through  the  illimitable  ages  by  the  calm  pro- 
cesses of  law.      The  eternal  years  are  his. 

2.  The  order  of  the  creative  days.  Here  again  is  a 
marvelous  coincidence.  The  fossils  and  footprints 
in  the  layers  of  the  primeval  rocks  are  precisely  in  the 
Mosaic  order.  This  is  their  succession :  chaos,  with 
the  beginning  of  cosmic  light;  the  dividing  of  the 
firmaments;  the  appearing  of  vegetable  life  in  the 
palaeozoic  or  carboniferous  age;  sun,  moon  and 
stars;  the  lower  orders  of  life  in  the  mesozoic  age; 
the  mammalia  in  the  kainozoic  age,  with  man  as 
masterpiece  and  sovereign  of  all.  We  have  spoken 
of  this  as  a  coincidence;  is  it  not  more  ?  How  shall 
we  account  for  the  fact  that  Moses,  at  that  early  pe- 
riod and  with  his  narrow  opportunities  of  learning, 


174         HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

should  have  thus  anticipated  the  results  of  nineteenth 
century  science  ? 

3.  The  creative  act.  Here  faith  assists  and  supple- 
ments science.  For  there  are  certain  questions  at 
which  science  halts  bewildered  as  on  the  verge  of  im- 
passable gulfs;  as  here, — "Whence  came  matter?" 
Not  a  particle  is  man-made.  We  stand  upon  a  ball 
of  matter  eight  thousand  miles  in  diameter,  and  no 
scientist  has  ever  yet  been  able  to  produce  an  atom. 
And  again,  as  to  the  beginning  of  life.  Air  and  earth 
and  water  are  teeming  with  it;  yet  no  scientist  can 
originate  a  bioplasmic  cell,  or  animate  a  dead  fly. 
Further  still,  as  to  the  beginning  of  spirit,  the  divine 
part  of  man.  A  sculptor  can  make  a  statue,  but  can 
he  give  it  a  throbbing  heart  responsive  to  holy  ap- 
peal, or  cause  it  to  articulate,  "  Our  Father"  ?  And 
then,  as  to  the  universal  evidences  of  design,  the  ad- 
justment of  all  things  to  their  uses.  To  say  that 
these  are  the  result  of  law  is  no  answer;  for  law  is 
but  blind  energy  if  there  be  no  Law-giver  behind  it. 

The  choice  is  obviously  between  chance  and  God. 
Did  the  present  order  of  things  come  by  fortuitous 
circumstance  or  did  it  proceed  from  a  creative  and 
controlling  Mind  ?  Let  us  see:  There  are  sixty-one 
letters  in  our  text.  Suppose  we  take  sixty-one  leaden 
type,  shake  them  together  and  cast  them  forth.  Now 
calculate  by  the  law  of  permutations  and  combina- 
tions how  long  it  would  require  to  produce  by  this 
method  the  words,  "  By  faith  we  understand  that  the 
worlds  were  framed  by  the  word  of  God."  And  how 
much  more  hopeless  the  problem  becomes  if  we  use 
as  many  letters  as  there  are  in  the  entire  Scriptures. 
The  period  from  the  first  glimmer  of  cosmic  light  to 


HOW   THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED.  I  75 

this  moment,  nay  the  vast  aeons  of  eternity  itself, 
cannot  be  shown  to  be  long  enough  to  produce  the 
desired  result.  Or  take  as  many  atoms  of  matter  as 
constitute  our  world,  not  to  mention  the  innumerable 
worlds  floating  in  infinite  space,  and  cast  them  forth 
to  the  mercy  of  fortuitous  circumstance,  and  see  how 
long  it  would  require  to  produce  in  this  man- 
ner a  world  like  ours;  a  world  of  vales  and  forests 
and  mountains,  or  birds  and  beasts  and  men.  The 
mere  suggestion  of  such  a  possibility  is  grotesque. 
There  is  indeed  no  solution  of  this  problem  but  God. 

It  is  pleasant,  in  this  connection,  to  recall  the  tes- 
timony given  by  one  of  the  most  eminent  scientists 
of  our  time,  Professor  Dana  of  Yale  University.  In 
his  last  interview  with  the  Class  of  '67,  he  said, 
"Young  men,  let  me  say  in  parting  with  you,  after 
our  pleasant  association  in  scientific  study,  that  when 
you  are  puzzled  and  bewildered  amid  the  conflicting 
views  of  human  teachers,  you  can  never  go  amiss  if 
you  will  receive  as  your  scientific  ultimate  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Word  of  God." 

But  what  is  the  practical  bearing  of  such  a  dis- 
course as  this  ?  Much  every  way.  We  stand  facing 
two  sphinxes ;  the  one  asking,  ' '  Whence  ?  "  the  other, 
"  Whither  ?  "  When  w^e  find  an  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion of  origin,  we  are  not  far  from  the  solution  of  the 
problem  of  destiny.  The  same  God  who  created  us 
is  caring  for  us. 

I  see  two  thrones:  One  is  on  the  circle  of  the  uni- 
verse, w^here  he  sits  high  and  lifted  up,  with  veiled 
face,  calling  into  being  things  that  are  out  of  those 
that  were  nut.  The  other  is  on  Calvary.  Here  tlu 
face   is  unveiled ;  the   God   of  creation  is  the  God  of 


176  HOW  THE  WORLDS  WERE  FRAMED. 

salvation.      Behold,  he  is  "the  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world." 

I  hear  two  fiats:  One  is  this,  "In  the  beginning 
was  the  Word  and  the  Word  was  with  God  and  the 
Word  was  God;  all  things  were  made  by  him,  and 
without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made." 
The  other  brings  us  face  to  face  with  the  incarnation 
and  redeeming  love.  "The  Word  was  made  flesh 
and  dwelt  among  us."  Here  are  two  august  presenta- 
tions of  the  Word  of  God,  omnipotent  on  the  one 
hand  in  the  framing  of  the  worlds,  on  the  other  in 
the  salvation  of  the  children  of  men. 

"  '  Twas  great  to  call  a  world  from  naught, 
'  Tis  greater  to  redeem." 

When  Dr.  Simeon  of  Cambridge  was  dying  he  said, 
"I  find  my  comfort  in  the  word  that  is  written,  'In 
the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth.'  He  who  originally  framed  the  earth,  can 
uphold  and  will  never  forsake  me."  Paul  comforted 
the  Christians  of  Colosse  in  like  manner  when  writ- 
ing to  them  of  redemption  through  the  Saviour's 
blood:  "  For  by  him  were  all  things  created  that  are 
in  heaven  and  that  are  in  the  earth,  visible  and  invis- 
ible, whether  they  be  thrones  or  dominions  or  princi- 
palities or  powers;  all  things  were  created  by  him  and 
for  him."  Blessed  be  his  name,  who  has  thus  joined 
together  the  remotest  ends  of  history  !  We  look  for 
our  deliverance  and  ultimate  triumph  to  One  who 
has  demonstrated  that  nothing  is  too  hard  for  him. 
"  For  God  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of 
darkness,  hath  shined  in  our  hearts  to  give  the  light 
of  the  knowledge  of  his  glory  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ" 


"AS  A  REFINER  OF  SILVER." 


"He  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver."— Mai.  3,  3. 

We  are  much  given  to  asking,  "Does  God  send 
trouble  ?  "  Why  should  he  ?  We  are  born  to  trouble 
as  the  sparks  fly  upward.  The  French  say,  "Adver- 
sity comes  in  on  horseback,  and  goes  off  afoot."  All 
faces  bear  the  marks  of  the  plowshare.  There  are 
wrinkles  and  crow's-feet,  the  restless  eye,  hairs  pre- 
maturely gray.  All  things  are  touched  with  sadness. 
There  is  ever  a  fly  in  the  ointment,  a  cloud  before 
the  sun,  a  chill  in  the  air.  Is  this  God's  doing  ?  I 
do  not  believe  it.  By  sin  came  all  our  woes.  The 
order  of  the  grim  procession  is  :  Sin,  Death  on  the 
pale  horse,  and  Hell  following  after  with  the  mighty 
troop  of  human  ills. 

Shall  we  say,  then,  that  our  troubles  are  retribu- 
tive ?  That  depends.  If  I  thrust  my  hand  through 
a  tradesman's  v.'indow,  two  things  follow:  one  is  the 
sentence  of  the  court,  the  other  is  a  wounded  hand. 
I  may,  for  some  reason,  escape  the  sentence;  but  my 
hand  is  bound  to  bleed.  So,  in  the  course  of  human 
experience,  we  violate  two  laws,  and  pass  under  a 
double  sorrow:  one  of  these  laws  is  written  on  God's 
statute  Book,  to  violate  which  is  to  pass  under  the 

(177) 


lyS  **AS    A    REFINER    OF    SILVER." 

sentence  of  spiritual  and  eternal  death ;  the  other  is 
written  in  the  constitution  of  our  nature. 

We  who  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  have  been  delivered 
from  all  penalties;  as  it  is  written,  ''He  hath 
blotted  out  the  handwriting  of  ordinances  that 
was  against  us  and  hath  taken  it  out  of  the  way, 
nailing  it  to  his  cross."  In  this  sense,  we  are  no 
longer  under  law,  but  under  grace.  Our  Lord  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions  and  bruised  for  our 
iniquities,  in  order  that  by  his  stripes  we  might  be 
healed.  He  bore  the  penalty  which  was  forensically 
due  to  us  for  violation  of  enacted  law.  But  there  are 
laws  so  interwoven  with  our  being  as  to  work  auto- 
matically. If  we  violate  them,  we  suffer  the  conse- 
quences here  and  now;  and  there  is  no  escape.  A 
man  who  breathes  miasm  will  shake  with  an  ague; 
and  personal  piety  can  not  avert  it.  If  he  overeats, 
he  must  endure  dyspeptic  pangs,  despite  his  faith  in 
God.  Such  troubles  are  not  the  result  of  a  forensic 
decree,  and  grace  can  not  directly  affect  them.  They 
are  not  penal,  but  consequential.  In  some  measure 
they  are  due  to  heredity;  in  large  measure  also  to 
personal  folly.  In  either  case  they  are  inevitable,  as 
being   "ills  that  human  flesh  is  heir  to." 

But  what  is  the  relation  of  God  to  such  sufferings 
as  these?  "He  sitteth  as  a  refiner  of  silver."  He 
does  not  kindle  the  fire  beneath  the  crucible,  neither 
does  he  quench  it.     One  of  the  poets  says  : 

"  Pain's  furnace  heat  within  me  quivers, 
God's  breath  upon  the  fire  doth  blow." 

But  that  is  not  true.  God's  breath  does  not  fan  the 
flame.  Nor  does  his  love  quench  it.  He  permits  our 
sufferings;   and  he  overrules  them  for  our  spiritual 


''as    A    REFINER    OF    SILVER."  1 79 

and  eternal  wellbeing.  Paul  prayed  thrice  that  the 
thorn  in  his  flesh  might  be  removed ;  the  answer  was, 
''My  grace  shall  be  sufficient  for  thee." 

But  still  the  question  recurs,  "Why  does  God 
permit  his  children  to  suffer  ? "  It  is  not  enough  to 
refer  the  matter  to  his  sovereign  will.  As  Edward 
Payson  lay  on  a  bed  of  anguish,  he  was  asked,  "  Do 
you  see  any  reason  for  such  a  visitation  as  this  ?  " 
"No,"  he  replied;  "but  I  am  as  well  satisfied  as  if  I 
saw  a  thousand;  the  will  of  my  Father  is  reason 
enough."  No  doubt  this  should  satisfy  us,  but 
somehow  it  does  not.  It  has  a  hard,  metallic  ring. 
To  say,  "  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  what  seemeth  him 
good";  or,  "Who  art  thou  that  repliest  against 
God  ?  "  is  cold  comfort.  Our  faith  is  not  large 
enough  to  rest  on  such  assurances.  We  want  to 
know  more;  and,  happily  for  our  peace  of  mind,  God 
stoops  to  reason  Vv^th  us.  He  makes  quite  clear  the 
wholesome  ministry  of  pain. 

"  Though  losses  and  crosses  be  lessons  right  severe, 
There's  wit  there,  ye'll  get  there,  ye'll  find  nae  itherwhere." 

I.  Our  troubles  are  divinely  permitted  in  order  that  we 
may  be  weaned  from  the  world.  We  are  constantly  in 
danger  of  forgetting  that  we  are  not  citizens  of  this 
world,  but  only  pilgrims  through  it.  "  We  look  for 
a  better  country,  even  an  heavenly,  and  for  a  city 
which  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is 
God."  But  we  incline  to  set  our  hearts  upon  the 
present  life,  and  waste  our  energies  on  things  that 
perish  with  the  using.  Our  Father  means  that  we 
shall  not  build  houses  here,  but  only  tents  to  sojourn 


l8o  "as   A    REFINER    OF    SILVER." 

His  purpose  is  set  forth  beautifully  in  the  parable 
of  the  eagle's  nest.  It  was  addressed  to  the  children 
of  Israel  in  their  wanderings:  "  As  an  eagle  stirreth 
up  her  nest,  fluttereth  over  her  young,  spreadeth 
abroad  her  wings,  taketh  them  and  beareth  them  on 
her  wings,"  so  have  I  dealt  with  you.  It  is  time  for 
the  eaglets  to  fly,  but  they  will  not.  They  are  content 
in  downy  ease.  Wherefore  the  mother-bird  must 
needs  disturb  the  nest;  she  breaks  off  twig  by  twig; 
she  fluttereth  overhead,  chirping  and  calling  upon 
her  brood,  in  vain.  Again  she  breaks  off  twig  by 
twig,  until  the  nest  is  wholly  wrecked,  and  the 
fledgelings  must  fly  or  fall.  Then  she  *' fluttereth 
over  them,"  and  as  their  strength  fails,  she  darts  be- 
neath and  bears  them  up;  then  casts  them  forth 
again,  and  anon  darts  beneath,  until  at  length  they 
learn  to  fly. 

The  Jews  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Goshen  as  in  a 
downy  nest.  They  tilled  their  fields  and  multiplied 
their  flocks;  they  were  prosperous  and,  alas!  content. 
Then  the  iron  entered  into  their  souls.  The  task- 
master came  with  his  whip  of  scorpions  and  drove 
them  into  the  brickyards.  God  saw  him  coming  and 
allowed  him  to  come.  He  meant  his  people  not  for 
the  land  of  Goshen,  but  for  another  that  flowed  with 
milk  and  honey.  The  nest  was  thus  broken  up;  the 
Jews,  weary  of  the  bitter  bondage  and  unrequited 
toil  of  Egypt,  were  glad  to  journey  toward  the  Land 
of  Promise. 

Did  you  make  for  yourself,  my  friend,  a  nest  in 
prosperity  ?  And  were  your  earthly  props  and  com- 
forts taken  away  ?  Did  there  come  a  crash  when 
your  nest  fell  asunder  ?    Did  it  seem  as  if  God  looked 


"as  a  refiner  of  silver.  iSl 

on,  refusing  to  prevent  it  ?     Then,  the  world  losing 
somewhat  of  its  charm,  you  began  to  sing, 

"  Rise,  my  soul,  and  stretch  thy  wings 
Thy  better  portion  trace. 
Rise  from  transitory  things, 
Toward  heaven,  thy  native  place!" 

II.  We  are  allowed  to  suffer  in  order  that  we  may  seek 
the  oracles.  This  is  what  David  meant  when  he  said, 
"  It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,  that  I 
might  learn  thy  statutes;  "  and  again,  "Before  I  was 
afflicted,  I  went  astray  ;  but  now  have  I  kept  thy 
word." 

In  our  ferry  boats  there  are  placards  directing 
attention  to  "Life-preservers  under  the  Seats."  You 
have  seen  the  life-preservers  there,  unused  and  dusty. 
You  have  made  a  mental  analysis,  saying,  "  Cork  and 
canvas."  You  have  wondered  as  to  the  proper 
adjustment  of  the  bands.  But  let  an  alarm  of  fire 
be  heard,  and  you  will  learn  more  in  a  minute  about 
life-preservers  than  you  would  in  a  thousand  peaceful 
and  contemplative  trips  across  the  ferry.  So  is  it 
with  the  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises  of 
Scripture.  One-third  of  the  Book  has  to  do  more 
or  less  directly  with  the  rationale  of  trouble.  But 
what  are  these  promises  to  such  as  have  never  known 
adversity  ?  In  the  scorching  sun  we  flee  to  the  shel- 
ter of  the  great  rock.  When  the  tribes  of  the  desert 
are  upon  us,  we  run  into  the  fortress.  Safe  in  the 
midst  of  danger,  we  say,  "God  is  our  refuge  and 
strength;  therefore,  will  we  not  fear,  though  the 
earth  be  removed  and  the  mountains  be  cast  into  the 
midst  of  the  sea."  Let  me  put  you  in  remembrance 
of   the  afflictions   which   have   made   precious   such 


152  ''AS    A    REFINER    OF    SILVER. 

divine  assurances  as  these:  "Come  unto  me  all  ye 
that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you 
rest;  "  "  He  shall  deliver  thee  in  six  troubles,  yea  in 
seven  there  shall  no  evil  touch  thee;"  "He  is  a 
strength  to  the  poor  and  to  the  needy  in  his  distress, 
a  refuge  from  the  storm,  a  shadow  from  the  heat, 
when  the  blast  of  the  terrible  ones  is  as  a  storm 
against  the  wall." 

III.  The  sorrows  which  we  are  divinely  permitted  to 
endure  are  great  character-builders. 

"Affliction  is  the  good  man's  shining  scene  ; 
Prosperity  conceals  his  brightest  ray  ; 
As  night  to  stars,  woe  luster  gives  to  man." 

The  two  pillars  on  which  character  rests  are  Faith 
in  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God^  and  Fellowship  with  Christ 
as  the  Son  of  Man.  We  learn  in  adversity  to  trust 
Him  as  the  Friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother. 
It  is  a  familiar  saying  that  no  friend  is  worthy  of  full 
confidence  until  we  have  summered  and  wintered 
with  him.  We  have  summered  with  Christ  on  the 
slopes  of  Olivet,  in  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  in 
the  upper  room.  But  we  have  not  fully  made  his 
acquaintance  unless  we  have  also  wintered  with  him 
in  the  judgment-hall,  at  the  olive  press  and  on  Gol- 
gotha. So  are  we  enabled  to  say,  "I  know  whom  I 
have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to 
keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against 
that  day." 

Thus  also  do  we  enter  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  as 
the  Son  of  Man ;  for  we  know  that  if  we  suffer  with  him 
we  shall  also  be  glorified  with  him.  He  was  a  Man 
of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  griefs.  He  goes 
before  us  through  the  wilderness  of  pain,   like  the 


"as    A    REFINER    OF    SILVER."  1 83 

pioneer  in  virgin  forests,  who  breaks  the  twigs 
as  he  advances  to  mark  the  way  for  those  coming 
after.  As  we  follow  in  his  steps, — footsteps  marked 
with  blood, — we  enter  into  sympathy  with  Christ,  and 
find  a  new  significance  in  his  word,  "I  will  never 
leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee." 

The  truest  beauty  is  the  beauty  of  character;  and 
the  chiseling  of  pain  completes  it.  There  are  faces 
that  have  a  singular  charm,  not  because  of  fair  com- 
plexion or  regular  features,  but  by  reason  of  an 
extraordinary  light  and  sweetness  that  speak  of  per- 
fection through  suffering.  This  is  indeed  a  reflection 
of  that  divine-human  Face  in  which  God  revealed 
the  beauty  of  his  love. 

And  thus,  finally^  our  sorrows  bri?ig  heaven  near.  It 
is  not  unusual  to  hear  it  said,  "This  world  is  good 
enough  for  me."  But  indeed  this  world  is  not  good 
enough  for  any  child  of  God. 

We  are  not  fit  for  heaven  until  we  have  learned  to 
long  for  it.  Blessed  are  the  homesick,  for  they 
shall  inherit  the  Father's  house.  There  are  some  of 
our  most  familiar  hymns  to  which  affliction  only  can 
attune  our  voices;  such  as 

O  mother  dear,  Jerusalem  ! 

When  shall  I  come  to  thee  ? 
When  shall  my  sorrows  have  an  end  ? 

Thy  joys,  when  shall  I  see  ! 
Thy  walls  are  made  of  precious  stone, 

Thy  bulwarks  diamond-square, 
Thy  gates  are  all  of  orient  pearl — 

O  God,  if  I  were  there  ! 

I  know  a  dear  lady  of  above  fourscore  years,  whose 
voice  quavers  and   trembles  as  she  sings  her  favorite 


184  "as    A    REFINER    OF    SILVER." 

hymn — an  old-time  hymn,  precious  to  me  from  my 
cradle-days — a  hymn  that  mellows  with  the  remem- 
brance of  Baca  and  sweetens  as  the  singer  nears  the 
border-land: — 

"  O  when  shall  I  see  Jesus,  and  reign  with  Him  above, 
To  drink  the  flowing  fountain  of  never-ending  love  ? 
To  see  the  saints  in  glory,  and  the  angels  stand  rejoicing; 
And  the  angels  stand  rejoicing,  to  welcome  travelers  home!" 

We  have  reviewed  some  of  the  uses  of  adversity; 
enough,  I  trust,  to  satisfy  us  that  God  means  kindly. 
There  is  no  chance  in  our  affliction,  nor  is  there  any 
stern  decree.  God  saw  the  prodigal  as  he  went  over 
the  hills  to  the  far  country.  He  saw  him  there  wast- 
ing his  substance  in  riotous  living.  He  saw  him 
going  down  step  by  step,  through  lawless  pleasure  to 
poverty  and  shame.  He  saw  him  putting  off  his  fine 
raiment,  donning  a  smock-frock  and  going  into  the 
fields  to  feed  swine.  He  saw  the  fiend  of  darkness 
lashing  him  at  every  step  until  he  reached  the  bot- 
tom. And  he  permitted  it.  He  permitted  it,  because 
he  knew  that,  sitting  there  in  rags  and  hunger,  the 
man's  better  nature  would  awake,  and  that  in  his 
shame  and  anguish  he  would  cry,  "I  will  arise  and 
go  unto  my  father!  " 

Ah,  this  is  a  sharp  plowshare;  but  what  matters 
that,  if  the  harvest  be  sure  ?  It  is  a  bitter  medicine, 
but,  blessed  be  God  if  health  shall  come  of  it  !  It  is 
a  fierce  fire,  burning  under  the  furnace,  but  behold 
how  the  Refiner  watches  the  crucible,  with  what 
jealous  love  and  care,  until  he  sees  his  face  reflected 
from  the  silver. 

So,  beloved,  all  is  right.  God  knows  what  is  best. 
We   live  forever,  and  our  probationary  years  in  this 


*'as  a  refiner  of  silver."  185 

world  are  divinely  adjusted  and  adapted  to  our 
deepest  need.  A  great  infidel  has  said,  "  Had  I  been 
intrusted  with  the  making  of  a  world,  I  could  have 
made  a  better  one."  No  doubt.  And  there  are  five  hun- 
dred men  in  Sing  Sing  who  feel  the  same  way.  Indeed, 
if  this  world  were  a  rounded  whole,  we  may  well 
conceive  how  it  might  have  been  a  better  one.  But 
our  present  life  is  only  a  handbreadth ;  death  does 
not  end  all.  We  are  getting  ready  for  eternity,  for 
our  Father's  house. 

"  Blest  be  the  sorrow,  kind  the  storm,   ■ 
That  drives  us  nearer  home  ! " 

One  word  more:  All  depends  on  our  way  of  bearing 
sorrow;  as  it  is  written,  '*  No  affliction  for  the  present 
seemeth  to  be  joyous,  but  grievous;  nevertheless,  it 
worketh  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness  to 
them  that  are  exercised  thereby";  that  is,  to  those 
who  are  wise  enough  to  profit  by  it.  Lord  Byron 
had  a  clubfoot,  and  it  embittered  his  life.  Walter 
Scott  had  a  clubfoot  also;  but  it  sweetened  his  whole 
nature,  so  that  all  men  love  Sir  Walter.  The  Lord 
help  us  to  bear  our  afflictions  in  the  right  spirit, 
mindful  of  his  great  kindness  in  permitting  and 
overruling  them.  It  is  not  enough  to  say,  "  I  will  be 
patient  and  submit."  Nay;  let  us  be  joyfully  acqui- 
escent. Let  us  catch  the  spirit  of  Paul  when  he  cried, 
**  We  glory  in  tribulation,  knowing  that  tribulation 
worketh  patience,  and  patience  experience,  and  expe- 
rience hope,  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed,  because 
the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us." 

The  time  is  coming  when  God's  providence  will 
be  made  clear.      "The  bud  may  have   a  bitter  taste, 


i86  "as  a  refiner  of  silver." 

but  sweet  will  be  the  flower."  What  we  call  troubles 
are  mercies  in  disguise.  We  suffer  for  a  little  time, 
that  we  may  reign  forever.  The  day  is  not  far  dis- 
tant when  we  shall  know  the  full  significance  of 
those  words:  "  Our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for 
a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory;"  and  when,  looking  back 
over  all  the  checkered  experience  of  our  wilderness 
journey,  we  shall  strike  the  harp  and  sing  with  cor- 
dial joy  and  gratitude:  "  I  reckon  that  the  sufferings 
now  past  and  gone  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  which  is  now  and  forevermore  re- 
vealed in  us!" 


ONE  RELIGION;   ALL  OTHERS   FALSE. 

"Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?  " — Acts  16,  30. 

The  deep  longing  of  the  universal  heart  was  here 
voiced  by  the  Philippian  jailer.  It  took  an  earth- 
quake to  shake  it  out  of  him.  Many  of  us  are  dis- 
posed to  repress  it;  but  all  are  sensible  of  sin.  All 
feel  the  justice  of  the  sentence,  "The  soul  that  sin- 
neth,  it  shall  die."  All  have  learned  from  experience 
the  utter  futility  of  self-deliverance.  So  it  happens 
that,  deep  down  in  every  breast,  the  question  throbs 
for  utterance,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  " 

And  here  enters  religion.  The  word  is  from  re- 
Hgare,  to  bind  back.  The  business  of  a  religion  is  to 
restore  the  alienated  soul  to  its  original  relation  with 
God.  The  test  of  all  religions,  therefore,  true  and 
false  alike,  is  this  question,  "What  must  I  do  to  be 
saved  ? "  We  hear  it  said  that  one  religion  is  as 
good  as  another  if  only  there  be  absolute  sincerity. 
To  speak  thus  betrays  a  lack  of  comprehension 
of  the  problem.  This  will  appear  in  a  candid 
survey  of  the  great  systems  which  have  come  into 
contact  with  the  one  true  religion;  the  touchstone  of 
comparison  being  the  question  of  personal  salvation. 
We  need  have  no  misgivings  as  to  the  result.  The 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  does  not  shrink  from  the  closest 

(1S7) 


i88  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

and  most  searching  scrutiny  and  comparison  with 
other  religious  systems.  It  proposes  to  save  sinners 
from  the  shame,  the  bondage  and  the  penalty  of  their 
sin;  and  herein,  as  we  shall  discover,  it  stands  solitary 
and  alone.  It  is  the  one  religion ;  all  others  are  false. 
That  is  to  say,  the  ethnic  religions  are  man-made; 
Christianity  alone  is  from  God. 

I.  We  begin  with  the  Religion  of  Egypt^  the  oldest  of 
all.  Our  knowledge  of  it  is  chiefly  derived  from  the 
papyrus  and  byssus  bands  which  are  unrolled  from 
the  mummies.  We  are  enabled  thus  to  form  a 
somewhat  clear  conception  of  the  sacred  book  known 
as  "  The  Book  of  the  Dead." 

1.  The  god  of  this  religion  was  Ammon-Ra;  that 
is,  the  sun,  as  center  and  source  of  life.  He  is  repre- 
sented as  a  hawk-headed  man,  his  forehead  encircled 
with  the  solar  disk.  He  was  worshiped  by  the  priests 
in  "mysteries,"  but  to  the  people  all  forms  of  life 
were  objects  of  devotion.  The  ibis,  the  crocodile,  the 
scarabaeus,  the  lizard  and  the  snake, — all  these  were 
worshiped  as  proceeding  from  Ammon-Ra,  the  mys- 
tic Origin  of  Life. 

2.  The  Egyptians  believed  in  immortality.  They 
carved  upon  their  mummy  crypts  the  image  of  the 
Phoenix  rising  from  its  ashes,  and  the  lotus  flower 
opening  with  the  early  sun.  The  dead  were  embalmed 
in  the  hope  that,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  Ammon-Ra 
would  revive  them.  The  coffin  itself  was  called 
**Thechest  of  life." 

3.  They  also  believed  in  a  final  judgment.  On 
many  of  their  tombs  the  god  Anubis  is  represented 
with  balances  in  hand ;  a  human  heart  in  one  scale,  a 
feather. in  th^  other.     Alas!  the  heart  is  lighter  than 


ONE  religion;   all  others  false.  189 

a  feather!  The  teaching  of  the  ''Book  of  the  Dead  " 
is  as  clear  with  respect  to  final  retribution  as  that  of 
our  own  Scriptures:  ''We  must  all  appear  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  God,  that  every  one  may  receive 
according  to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good 
or  bad." 

But  what  has  the  religion  of  Egypt  to  say  in 
answer  to  the  crucial  question,  "What  shall  I  do  to 
be  saved?  "  The  only  preparation  for  judgment  was 
obedience  to  the  Maat,  or  rule  of  right  living.  It 
cannot  be  determined  with  precision  what  were  the 
precepts  in  this  elaborate  code.  This,  however,  is 
clear  :  In  case  of  failure  to  obey  the  Maaf, 
there  was  no  remedy.  It  is  this  that  stamps  the 
Egyptian  system  as  "the  religion  of  despair."  It 
contains  no  suggestion  of  forgiveness.  Thus,  while 
the  Egyptians  were  the  most  mirthful  people  on  earth, 
they  were  the  saddest  of  worshipers.  It  is  written, 
"They  offered  tears  upon  the  altars  of  their  gods." 
An  illustrious  lady,  the  wife  of  Pasherenptah,  is 
represented  as  thus  addressing  her  husband  from  the 
grave:  "O  my  beloved,  forbear  not  to  eat  and  drink 
and  drain  the  cup  of  pleasure  while  you  live;  for  here 
is  the  land  of  slumber  and  darkness.  We  weep  for 
the  pleasures  that  have  passed  by." 

II.  The  religion  of  the  Greeks.  They  were,  as  Paul 
said,  '' exceedingly  devout. "  In  their  pantheon  we 
observe  the  exaltation  of  Nature.  Zeus,  the  All- 
father,  was  the  deification  of  aether.  He  reigned  on 
the  heights  of  Olympus;  the  lightning  was  the  flash 
of  his  eye;  and  with  his  javelin,  the  thunderbolt,  he 
hurled  his  foes  down  the  mountain  side.  The  mi- 
nor gods  and  goddesses,  who  assembled  abaut  hin^. 


190  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

were  personifications  of  natural  forces.  Apollo  curbed 
*'the  fierce,  flame-breathing  steeds  of  day."  Athene 
was  the  spirit  of  the  morning,  rising  from  the  brow 
of  the  sky.  A  god  was  here  for  every  river,  a  nymph 
for  every  brooklet.  Troops  of  sirens  came  from  the 
mossy  clefts,  and  Oreads  from  the  hills  to  claim  their 
tribute  of  devotion;  while  dryads  brought  with  them 
oracular  secrets  from  the  rustling  oaks.  It  was  a 
beautiful  system,  and  should  have  been  quite  satis- 
factory and  ultimate  if  it  were  possible  for  natural 
theology  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  immortal  soul. 

But  the  Greek  deities,  though  made  after  a  large 
pattern  and  endowed  with  extraordinary  gifts,  were 
only  mortals  projected  on  the  skies.  In  their  Olymp- 
ian life  they  ate  and  drank,  made  war  and  love,  quar- 
reled and  sinned,  reveled  and  slept.  Hermes  was  a 
thief;  Aphrodite,  a  drab;  Athene,  an  adept  at  billings- 
gate; Hera,  no  better  than  she  ought  to  be;  and 
Zeus,  their  worthy  sire,  a  base  deceiver  who  ofttimes 
drank  too  deeply  of  the  mirth-inspiring  nectar  and 
was  faithless  to  his  wife,  whom  he  "hungup  in  mid- 
heaven  with  anvils  tied  to  her  heels." 

The  festivals  in  honor  of  these  gods  were  a  mag- 
nificent display  of  utter  sensual  abandon.  There  were 
dances,  tourneys,  athletic  sports,  processions  and 
chariot  races.  There  were  dramatic  representations 
of  the  adventures  of  the  Olympian  gods  in  which 
lewd  dancers,  flushed  with  wine,  ministered  to  tbi 
basest  passions  of  men. 

The  failure  of  such  a  religion  was  a  mere  question 
of  time.  Doubt  and  inquiry  arose.  Lucian  and  the 
other  satirists  began  to  write  ruthlessly  against  the 
gods.      On    went    the    unmasking  of  the    tricksters. 


ONE    RELIGION;     ALL    OTHERS    FALSE.  191 

The  shrines  were  abandoned;  the  altar-fires  were  ex- 
tinguished ;  and  from  the  deep  recesses  of  the  forests 
the  winds  came  wailing,  ^^  Eleleu  !  Eleleu!  —  Great 
Pan  is  dead!'' 

Then  came  the  philosophers,  lovers  of  wisdom. 
They  were  the  protestants  of  their  time,  who  fear- 
lessly approached  the  stalking  ghosts  and  spectres 
of  the  national  religion  and  laughed  them  out  of 
court.  Plato  founded  the  Academy  and  discoursed 
on  virtue  as  the  most  desirable  thing.  Epicurus  in 
his  Garden  exalted  the  emotions  above  the  intellect; 
leaving  to  posterity  the  strange  maxim,  "Let  us  eat 
and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  Zeno,  in  his 
Painted  Porch,  founded  the  school  of  the  Stoics; 
making  expediency  the  highest  rule  of  action.  The 
Cynics,  led  by  Diogenes,  taught  a  philosophy  steeped 
in  gall.  The  Skeptics  glorified  doubt;  they  were  the 
ancestors  of  our  modern  Agnostics,  their  chief  dictum 
being,  "We  assert  nothing;  no,  not  even  that  we 
assert  nothing."  The  Peripatetics,  w^th  Aristotle  as 
their  illustrious  tutor,  originated  the  inductive  method 
of  reasoning;  and,  drifting  into  practical  material- 
ism, rejected  as  unsubstantial  all  the  great  verities  of 
the  eternal  life. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  philosophers  failed,  as 
utterly  as  the  priests,  to  answer  the  great  question, 
"  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  "  The  earnest  youths 
who  walked  amid  the  plane  trees  by  the  Ilissus  had 
much  to  say  of  the  Cardinal  Virtues  and  the  sym- 
metry of  a  noble  life;  but  they  suggested  no  escape 
from  the  mislived  past  and  left  the  doorway  of  the 
tomb  shrouded  in  unbroken  night.  Socrates,  the 
noblest    of  them   all,  with    the  fatal  hemlock  at  his 


192  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

lips,  could  only  say,  "■  I  take  comfort  in  the  hope 
that  something  may  remain  of  man  after  his  death." 
The  priests  and  the  philosophers  gave  no  real  com- 
fort or  positive  assurance  to  those  who  longed  for  the 
endless  life.  Ixion  was  left  bound  to  the  wheel.  The 
vultures  still  gnawed  at  the  vitals  of  Prometheus,  the 
prisoner  of  death  and  despair.  Tantalus  still  abode 
in  hell  with  the  ever -receding  waters  close  to  his 
thirsty  lips. 

III.  BraAmam'sm.  An  army  of  pilgrims  coming  from 
the  great  table-lands  of  the  Caspian — so  long  ago  that 
in  our  endeavor  to  trace  them  we  lose  ourselves  in  pre- 
historic mists — crossed  the  Hindu-Kush  Mountains 
and  took  forcible  possession  of  the  banks  of  the  Indus, 
announcing  themselves  as  the  superior  race.  In  order 
to  sustain  this  assumption,  they  invented  the  fable  of 
Brahm  issuing  from  the  primeval  Qgg,  and  creating 
from  his  head  the  Brahmans;  from  his  breast  the 
soldiers;  from  his  loins  the  merchants;  and  from  his 
feet  the  laboring  class.  Here  was  the  beginning  of 
that  iron-banded  system  of  caste  which  has  prevailed 
in  India  for  thirty  centuries,  crushing  its  best  ener- 
gies like  the  mountain  resting  on  Typhon's  heart. 

The  sacred  book  of  the  Brahmans  is  the  Rig-Veda. 
As  to  its  character  we  may  safely  accept  the  judg- 
ment of  Max  Muller,  who  apologizes  for  the  deficien- 
cies of  his  own  translation  by  saying,  that  a  complete 
rendering  would  have  made  him  liable  to  prosecution 
under  the  English  law  against  the  publication  of 
obscene  literature.  The  three  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  Veda  are  as  follows : 

I.  Brahm,  the  inconceivable  One.  He  is  so  far 
removed  from  all  human  understanding  that  **itcan- 


ONE  religion;   all  others  false.  T93 

not  be  asserted  that  he  is  known   nor  yet  that  he  is 
unknown. " 

2.  Maya,  or  illusion.  Nothing  really  exists  except 
Brahm.  Men  are  merely  sparks  from  the  central  fire, 
separated  for  a  time,  to  be  absorbed  at  last.  Our  life 
with  all  its  varied  experiences  is  but  "an  illusory 
phantom  such  as  a  conjurer  calls  up." 

3.  Apavarga,  the  supreme  good.  This  is  to  lose 
self-consciousness,  in  being  finally  merged  into  the 
ineffable  One.  The  soul  is  like  a  drop  of  water, 
exhaled  by  the  sun,  floating  for  a  time  in  vapor,  at 
length  falling  into  the  sea. 

What,  then,  shall  the  Brahman  do  to  be  saved  ?  His 
only  salvation  is  extinction.  This  is  to  be  reached 
"by  faith  ";  that  is,  by  an  unreserved  yielding  up  of 
self  to  the  contemplation  of  Brahm.  If  you  would 
find  a  Hindu  saint,  search  for  him  by  the  roadside. 
You  will  find  him  there  crouching  upon  his  knees, 
naked,  with  hair  uncombed,  the  Vedas  before  him. 
His  body  is  smeared  with  ashes  and  dung.  His 
countenance  wears  a  look  of  utter  stupidity.  He  is 
intently  contemplating  one  of  his  long  finger-nails. 
This  is  "the  twice-born  Yogi,"  the  consummate 
fruit  of  Brahmanism.  And  this  is  the  answer  the 
Vedas  give  to  the  question,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved  ?  "  The  twice-born  Yogi  is  losing  himself  in 
the  Soul  of  the  Universe.  He  has  no  longer  any  con- 
sciousness of  guilt,  no  passion  nor  appetite.  He 
moves  not,  speaks  not,  except  when,  with  a  spiritual 
pride  which  would  be  grotesque  were  it  not  so  un- 
speakably pathetic,  he  lifts  his  dreamy  eyes,  and 
mutters,  "  I  am  God  !    I  am  God  !  " 

IV.   Buddhism,     A  child  was  born  about  500  B.C. 


194  o^'E  religion;  all  others  false. 

in  the  royal  city  of  Oude,  who,  as  the  oracles  say, 
was  destined  for  great  things.  At  the  moment  of  his 
birth  he  walked  three  paces  and  in  a  voice  like  thun- 
der proclaimed  himself  the  Fulfillment  of  Hope.  The 
air  was  instantly  filled  with  perfume,  songs  were 
heard  in  the  distance,  and  lotus  flowers  dropped 
from  the  sky.  The  life  of  this  w^onderful  child  was 
thenceforth  a  continuous  tale  of  marvels,  until  at 
length,  in  early  manhood,  he  found  himself  under 
the  sacred  uo-tree.  While  meditating  there,  the 
great  truth — which  indeed  no  living  man  can  define 
— came  to  him  like  a  sunburst;  and  he  went  forth  to 
work  Deliverance.  At  Benares  he  gathered  a  com- 
pany of  disciples  about  him,  and,  with  their  aid, 
compiled  the  sacred  book  known  as  Tripitika^  or 
"The  Three  Baskets."  It  contains  an  amount  of 
literature  almost  bewildering  —  about  three  hundred 
volumes  folio.  It  is  chiefly  devoted  to  the  importance 
of  self-culture,  or  the  development  of  the  intellectual 
as  distinguished  from  the  carnal  life.  Its  three  fun- 
damental doctrines  are  as  follows  : 

I.   Buddh;  that  is,  the  all-pervading  Mind. 

"  An  immense  solitary  Spectre  stands. 
It  hath  no  shape,  it  hath  no  sound, 
It  hath  no  place,  it  hath  no  time. 
It  is,  and  was,  and  will  be  ; 
It  is  never  more  nor  less,  nor  glad,  nor  sad; 
Its  name  is  Nothingness. 

Power  walketh  high,  and  Misery  doth  crawl, 
And  the  clepsydron  drips. 
And  the  sands  fall  down  in  the  hour-glass  ; 
Men  live  and  strive,  regret,  forget. 
And  love,  and  hate,  and  know  it. 
The  Spectre  saith,  'I  'uaitT 


ONE  religion;   all  others  false.  195 

And  at  the  last  it  beckons,  and  they  pass  ; 
And  still  the  red  sands  fall  within  the  glass, 
And  still  the  water-clock  doth  drip  and  weep ; 
And  that  is  all  ! " 

The  God  of  the  Buddhists  is  indeed  a  specter;  he  has 
no  eyes  to  see,  no  heart  to  pity,  no  arms  to  save.  He 
is  represented  as  sitting  aloft  in  an  imperturbable 
calm,  unmoved  by  the  pain  and  struggle  of  mankind 
— an  inactive,  impersonal,  valueless  ghost  of  a  god. 

2.  Karma,  or  the  Law  of  Consequences.  As  a  man 
soweth,  so  shall  he  also  reap.  There  is  no  escape. 
There  is  no  pardon,  no  averting  the  doom.  The  law 
is  automatic,  administering  itself;  constant  as  one's 
shadow. 

The  mills  grind  slow, 
But  they  grind  woe. 

3.  Nirvana.  This  is  the  Buddhist's  only  heaven. 
It  is  defined  as  "the  harbor  of  never-ending  rest."  It 
is  indeed  but  another  term  for  total  annihilation.  The 
path  to  Nirvana  is  through  endless  transmigrations. 
The  Buddhist's  noblest  wish  is  to  shorten  the  period 
of  these  successive  cycles  of  existence,  and  lose  his 
personality  at  last.  To  accomplish  this  he  must  con- 
quer all  feeling  and  attain  to  a  sublime  indifference 
to  everything  in  life. 

The  moral  code  of  Buddhism  is  contained  in  the 
Noble  Eight-fold  Path,  which  is:  Right  Belief,  Right 
Feeling,  Right  Speech,  Right  Action,  Right  Means 
of  Livelihood,  Right  Endeavor,  Right  Memory,  and 
Right  Meditation.  To  observe  this  Eight-fold  Path 
will  bring  one  to  a  final  absorption  in  the  soul 
of  the  universe.  This  is  the  answer  which  the  Bud- 
dhist gives  to  the  great  question.      His  only  concep- 


196  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

tion  of  salvation  is  an  utter  loss  of  personal  being, 
and  even  this  is  to  be  reached  only  by  an  absolute 
observance  of  law.  In  default  of  obedience,  he  must 
continue  on  the  weary  pilgrimage.  The  best  that  he 
can  hope  for  is  to  breathe  at  last  the  odor  of  the  lotus 
flower,  and  sink  into  oblivion  like  a  raindrop  in  the 
sea. 

V.  Cotifucianism.  Just  outside  the  capital  city  of 
China  stands  an  image,  with  a  memorial  tablet  bear- 
ing this  inscription,  ^'•Kung-foo-Tse^  A  king  without  a 
kingdom,  yet  reigning  in  hearts  innumerable."  The 
religion  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  with  its  five  hundred 
millions  of  people,  is  little  more  than  a  personal  rev- 
erence for  this  illustrious  man.  He  was  superinten- 
dent of  parks  in  the  province  of  Lu,  and,  being 
brought  into  contact  with  much  official  corruption, 
was,  as  his  biographer  says,  ''frightened  at  what  he 
saw."  The  times  were  out  of  joint;  the  Empire 
seemed  hastening  to  its  fall.  K'ung  Fu-tze,  or  Con- 
fucius, stood  forth,  saying;  "  I  show  you  a  more  ex- 
cellent way.  It  is  foolish  to  speak  of  God  and  heaven 
and  incomprehensible  things.  One  thing  we  know; 
that  is,  present  life  and  present  duty.  There  is  a  re- 
gion lying  at  our  doors,  where  each  may  put  forth  his 
best  energies  for  the  public  good."  It  will  be  seen 
that  his  purpose  was  not  to  originate  a  religious  sys- 
tem, but  to  reform  the  present  order.  The  sacred 
book  is  the  "Analects  of  Confucius."  Its  central 
thought  is  The  Kingdom.  Christ  also  spoke  of  a 
Kingdom;  by  which  he  meant  the  Kingdom  of  Truth 
and  Righteousness,  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  But  the  kingdom  of  which  Confu- 
cius dreamed  was  of  a  far  more  material  sort;    it  was 


ONE  religion;   all  others  false.  197 

the  Chinese  Empire.  His  ''religion"  is  merely  a 
system  of  civil  economics.  The  Confucianist  looks 
forward  to  no  heaven;  he  dreams  of  no  tabernacle 
descending  from  above  in  millennial  glory.  His  Celes- 
tial Empire  is  China  here  and  now.  The  three  duties 
pre-eminently  set  forth  in  the  Analects  are  as  follows: 

1.  Filial  Piety.  The  kingdom  is  regarded  as  a 
large  family  in  which  the  Emperor  is  father  of  all. 
The  prime  duty  of  every  citizen  is  reverence  for  his 
political  father ;  after  that  for  civil  functionaries ;  then 
for  his  father  in  the  flesh;  finally  for  all  his  ancestors. 
In  no  other  country  are  the  obligations  that  flow  from 
the  filial  relation  more  thoroughly  respected  than  in 
China.  There  is  no  sentiment  in  this,  however;  its 
object  is  the  conservation  of  the  state. 

2.  Veneration  for  Learning.  The  scriptures  of  the 
Celestial  Empire  are  a  compilation  of  the  wise  sayings 
of  the  sages.  These  are  purely  secular.  "When  we 
know  so  little  about  life  and  its  duties,"  said  the 
great  teacher,  "  how  can  we  be  expected  to  say  any- 
thing about  death  or  what  comes  after  it  ?  " 

3.  Reverence  for  the  past.  China  has  been  at 
a  standstill  for  twenty  centuries.  The  old  order 
changeth  not.  The  ideas  of  the  Chinese  are  musty 
and  mildewed  and — like  their  faces,  their  houses  and 
their  junks — all  made  after  one  pattern.  As  to  the 
question,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  there  is 
no  voice  nor  answer  nor  any  that  regardeth.  The 
word  "Salvation"  was  rubbed  out  of  their  vocabu- 
lary by  Confucius.  They  are  a  race  of  materialists, 
dull,  plodding,  heedless  of  eternity  as  moles. 

*'  To  be  content's  their  natural  desire; 
They  ask  no  angel's  wings  nor  seraph's  fire." 


198  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

VI.  Islam.  The  camel-driver  of  Mecca  seems  to 
have  bee«  at  the  outset  a  pure-minded  and  kindly- 
disposed  dreamer  of  dreams;  but  in  the  year  of  the 
Hejira,  A.D.  622,  when  he  was  driven  out  of  his 
native  city,  his  spirit  was  changed.  As  he  issued 
from  the  gates  of  Mecca  he  unsheathed  his  sword  and 
became  a  red-handed  sensualist.  The  call  to  prayer 
was  mingled  with  the  summons  to  the  Holy  War. 
No  quarter  must  be  given  to  unbelievers.  '*  Fight 
against  them,"  said  the  prophet,  "until  not  one  shall 
be  left  to  oppose  us  and  the  only  religion  shall  be 
that  of  Allah  the  true  God.'' 

He  gathered  his  disciples  about  him  and  produced 
the  Koran.  It  is  regarded  as  more  than  an  inspired 
book,  being  *' the  uncreated  Word  of  God."  The 
angel  Gabriel  brought  him  the  silken  scroll  on  which 
it  was  inscribed,  commanding  him  to  read.  He  said, 
** I  cannot  read."  Thereupon  the  angel  shook  him 
thrice  and,  lo,  the  inscription  became  as  clear  as 
light.  He  forthwith  caused  it  to  be  transcribed  on 
white  stones,  leather,  palm  leaves,  the  shoulder 
blades  of  camels  and  the  breasts  of  men.  The  Koran 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  surahs  or 
chapters,  each  of  which  begins  with  the  words, 
"In  the  name  of  the  merciful  and  compassionate 
God." 

The  most  succinct  statement  of  Mohammedan  belief 
is  found  in  the  Kaliuia^  or  creed;  which  is  as  follows: 
La  Ilah  ilia  Allah;  wa  Muhatfimad  Rusoul  Allah — 
"There  is  no  god  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his 
prophet."  The  two  propositions  of  this  creed  are 
called  by  Gibbon  "  The  eternal  truth  and  the  eternal 
lie." 


ONE  religion;   all  others  false.  199 

The  Eternal  Truth  is  this,  '*  There  is  no  god  but 
God."  It  must  be  explained,  however,  that  the  God 
of  Islam  is  the  apotheosis  of  pure  will.  There  is  no 
love,  mercy  or  sympathy  in  him.  He  is  called  by 
ninety-nine  names  in  the  Koran,  but  "Father"  is  not 
among  them.  The  closest  relation  which  a  believer 
can  sustain  to  this  god  is  expressed  in  Islam  j  that  is, 
submission  to  the  supreme  will.  Out  of  this  concep- 
tion grows  the  Moslem's  belief  in  fate,  or  Kismet. 
All  things  being  controlled  by  an  infinite  Will;  what 
is  to  be  must  be,  and  there  is  no  resisting  it.  Hence 
the  desperate  valor  of  the  Moslems  in  battle.  The 
day  of  a  man's  death  is  inscribed  on  his  forehead  and 
he  can  do  nothing  to  avert  it.  The  creation  of  the 
race  is  described  as  follows:  Allah  took  into  his 
hands  a  mass  of  clay,  and  dividing  it  in  two  equal 
portions,  he  threw  one-half  into  hell  saying,  ** These 
to  eternal  fire  and  I  care  not!"  and,  tossing  the 
other  upward,  he  added,  "These  to  Paradise  and 
I  care  not!"  This  is  predestination  with  a  ven- 
geance. 

The  Eternal  Lie  is  this,  "And  Mohammed  is  his 
prophet. "  The  camel-driver  of  Mecca  has  come  down 
through  the  centuries  grasping  a  sword  crimson  with 
blood;  he  is  attended  on  one  side  by  the  master  of 
the  harem,  on  the  other  by  the  Arab  slave-driver. 
Thus  inspirit  he  leads  the  Moslem  host  to-day  as  they 
push  their  conquests  downward  from  the  northern 
coasts  of  Africa  among  the  barbaric  tribes.  In  this 
Holy  War  the  three  historic  evils  of  savagery  are  per- 
petuated :  war,  polygamy  and  slavery.  Put  over 
against  this  figure  of  the  false  prophet,  the  Christ  of 
Calvary    leading   on    his    militant    Church    with    no 


200  ONE  religion;   all  others  false. 

weapon  save  the   sword   of  the  Spirit  which  is  the 
Word  of  God. 

We  have  finished  our  brief  survey  of  the  six  greatest 
of  the  false  religions.  There  are  some  conclusions 
which  we  must  have  reached.  First:  There  is  a 
measure  of  truth  in  each  of  these  religions.  How 
could  it  be  otherwise,  since  God  has  never  left  himself 
without  a  witness  ?  There  is  gold  in  quartz,  in  the 
granite  of  the  mountains,  in  auriferous  sands,  even  in 
the  waves  that  roll  in  upon  the  Pacific  coast.  But 
the  question  is,  "Is  it  there  in  paying  quantities  ?  and 
can  it  be  separated  from  the  dross?  "  Secondly  :  There 
is  somewhat  of  sound  morality  in  each  of  the  false 
systems,  but  in  every  case  it  is  hopelessly  mingled 
with  the  basest  sentiments.  By  universal  consent  the 
ethical  code  of  Christianity,  as  represented  in  its 
two  great  symbols,  the  Decalogue  and  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  is  absolutely  perfect.  There  is  nothing 
to  be  added,  nor  anything  to  be  taken  from  it.  But 
thirdly:  The  determining  factor  in  our  argument  is 
the  question,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  To 
this  the  false  religions  give  no  answer.  They  all 
fail  at  the  point  where  they  are  most  needed.  Not 
one  of  them  has  any  suggestion  to  make  as  to  our 
deliverance  from  the  horror  of  a  mislived  past.  Is 
there  any  escape  ?  Can  the  record  be  blotted  out  ? 
Aye  !  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all 
sin." — "He  that  believeth  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
shall  be  saved."  This  is  Spes  Unica  ;  the  only  hope. 
* '  There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  We  look  in  vain 
among  all  the  sacred  books  of  the  false  religions  for 
any  doctrine  corresponding  to  justification  by  faith. 


ONE    religion;    all    others    false.  20I 

There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood 

Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins  ; 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 

Lose  all  their  guilty  stains. 

'•I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  for  it 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that 
believeth. "  On  this  we  build  our  confident  hope  that 
Christianity  shall  be  the  universal  religion.  It  is 
the  true  religion,  and  the  truth  must  ultimately  pre- 
vail. The  glory  of  the  Lord  Christ  is  destined  to 
cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 


THE  GLORY  IN  THE  FACE  OF 
JESUS  CHRIST. 

"  For  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined 
in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
face  of  Jesus  Christ."— II.  Cor.  4,  6. 

The  key  of  the  argument  is  the  word  *'  For."  Paul 
has  been  saying,  **  We  preach  not  ourselves  but 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  and  ourselves  your  servants 
for  Jesus'  sake."  He  was  pre-eminently  a  Christo- 
logical  preacher.  At  the  moment  of  his  conversion 
he  had  asked,  ''  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do  ? " — not  that  he  had  previously  lacked  employ- 
ment, for  as  arch-inquisitor  of  the  Sanhedrin  he  had 
been  a  very  busy  man.  But  the  flash-light  glimpse 
which  he  had  caught  of  the  face  of  Jesus,  revolution- 
ized his  life.  The  things  done  in  his  past  life  were 
instantly  seen  to  be  not  worth  the  doing.  The 
vision,  the  dazzling  light,  the  words,  *'I  am  Jesus," 
suggested  a  new  mastership  and  drew  from  him  the 
quick,  acquiescent  response,  '*  What  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?" 

He  was  directed  to  go  into  Damascus,  where  in 
due  time  it  should  be  told  him  what  he  must  do. 
He  was  led,  stricken  with  blindness,  to  a  certain 
home  in  the  street  called  "  Straight";  and  there  he 

(202; 


THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST.        203 

waited  for  the  word  which  was  to  change  the  tenor 
of  his  life. 

One  day  a  disciple  of  Jesus  came  and,  laying  a 
kindly  hand  upon  him,  said,  "  Brother  Saul,  the 
Lord  Jesus  hath  sent  me  that  thou  mightest  receive 
thy  sight  and  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  He 
was  then  told  of  his  appointment  ''as  a  chosen  vessel 
to  declare  the  name  of  Jesus  before  the  Gentiles  and 
kings  and  the  children  of  Israel."  This  was  his  mis- 
sion; this  was  his  commission.  Straightway  he  be- 
gan to  preach,  accordingly,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ. 
In  the  synagogues,  in  the  public  streets,  on  Mars' 
Hill,  in  prison,  on  the  steps  of  the  Castle  of  Antonia, 
on  shipboard,  in  palaces  and  judgment  halls,  his 
message  was  always  the  same,  "This  Jesus  is  the 
Christ!" 

No  doubt  there  were  those  among  his  hearers  who 
would  have  heard  the  learned  Rabbi  discourse  on 
other  themes.  He  was  competent  to  speak  on  the 
false  philosophers  of  his  time,  on  governmental  sci- 
ence, on  current  events;  but  he  was  determined  to 
"  know  nothing  but  Christ  and  him  crucified."  By 
reason  of  his  familiarity  with  the  arts  of  logic  and 
rhetoric  he  might  doubtless  have  made  a  mark  for 
himself  as  the  sensational  preacher  of  his  time;  but 
to  his  mind  there  was  nothing  of  more  absorbing 
interest  or  more  truly  "  sensational  "  than  the  great 
tragedy  on  Calvary.  He  was  scourged,  imprisoned, 
stoned,  cast  out  of  the  synagogues,  haled  before 
magistrates;  but  he  went  right  on  preaching  Christ. 
Why  not  ?  The  love  of  Christ  constrained  him. 
The  gospel  filled  the  horizons  of  his  life.  Christ  was 
around  him  like  the  air,  over  him  like  the  dome  of 


204       THE    GLORY    IX    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST. 

heaven,  under  him  hke  terra  firma.  Christ  had  arisen 
in  his  soul  Hke  a  morning  sun,  so  that  all  minor 
lights  cast  a  shadow.  He  could  think  of  nothing 
but  Christ,  speak  of  nothing  but  Christ.  And  here 
is  his  apology:  "For  God,  who  commanded  the 
light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our 
hearts  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ." 

I.  God  had  shined  into  his  heart.  No  greater  revela- 
tion can  come  to  any  man.  To  know  God — this  is 
life  eternal.  It  is  easy  to  speak  the  word — a  little 
word  of  three  letters, — but  what  vast  measures  of 
truth  are  contained  in  it.  Paul  had  been  a  religionist 
all  his  life.  He  had  been  graduated  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Jerusalem  with  the  title  Doctor  of  Divinity.  He 
was  familiar  with  the  teachings  of  the  Rabbis  and  an 
expert  in  the  various  schools  of  Greek  philosophy. 
But  he  had  never  known  God  until  the  moment  when 
this  great  light  fell  upon  him.  He  had  worn  the 
cabalistic  phrase,  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God 
is  one  Lord,"  on  the  frontlet  between  his  eyes.  He 
was  familiar  with  the  conventional  phrases  respecting 
an  "All-pervading  Soul,"  a  "Something-that-maketh- 
for-righteousness,"  and  the  "Essence  of  things." 
But  now  God  had  shined  into  his  heart,  and  in  this 
sunburst  a  new  conception  of  life  and  duty  and 
character  had  come  to  him. 

He  likens  it  to  the  original  fiat:  "Let  there  be 
light  !  "  The  God  who  had  made  himself  manifest 
to  him  was  the  God  who  had  "commanded  light  to 
shine  out  of  darkness."  The  primeval  world  was  a 
surging,  steaming  mass  ;  elements  in  confusion  ; 
lightnings  and  thunderings;  embr}"Otic  continents  el- 


THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST.        205 

bowing  their  way  out  of  the  roaring  waters.  Then 
the  fiat;  all  nature  felt  it;  life  and  beauty  appeared ; 
order  and  gladness;  blooming  flowers  and  singing 
birds. 

*'  God  said,  '  Let  there  be  light  ! ' 
Grim  darkness  felt  his  might 

And  fled  away. 
Then  startled  seas  and  mountains  cold 
Shone  forth  all  bright  in  blue  and  gold, 

And  cried,   '  '  Tis  day  !    '  Tis  day  !'  " 

The  unregenerate  heart  is  like  chaos:  it  is  a  world 
of  crude  and  unorganized  potencies.  Will,  mind  and 
conscience  are  disordered.  Paul  says  that  he  had 
sought  in  a  pure  conscience  to  serve  God  from  His 
youth  up.  As  he  went  forth  from  the  hall  Gazith  to 
persecute  the  followers  of  the  Nazarene,  "breathing 
out  slaughter,"  like  a  lion  with  red-stained  lips,  he 
"verily  thought  He  was  doing  God  service."  But 
the  light  from  heaven  revealed  his  error.  Bystanders, 
as  they  saw  him  led  away,  said,  "  He  is  blind  ";  but, 
though  his  fleshly  eyes  were  closed,  his  inner  vision 
was  opened  to  behold  things  which  he  never  had 
dreamed  of.  One  truth  w^as  now  as  clear  as  day  : 
"This  Jesus  is  the  Christ."  Jesus,  whom  he  had  re- 
jected, whose  followers  he  had  persecuted,  was  now 
and  henceforth  his  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
of  every  purpose,  the  end  of  every  aspiration. 

The  shining  of  God  into  a  human  heart  is  always 
a  revolutionary  experience.  It  reverses  all  religious 
conceptions,  and  transforms  character.  The  man 
who  has  seen  the  great  light  from  heaven  can  never 
again  be  the  same  man ;  he  cannot  enter  a  sanctuary 
with  the  old   feeling,  he  cannot  go  into  his  workshop 


2o6       THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST. 

with  the  old  purpose.  He  has  been  born  into  the 
kingdom  of  truth  and  righteousness.  His  whole 
nature  cries  out,  **What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?" 
Wealth,  pleasure,  personal  emolument,  all  former 
pursuits,  dwindle  into  naught.  Old  things  are 
passed  away;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new. 

II.  To  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God.  But  how  could  that  be  ?  Who  can  apprehend 
the  glory  of  God  ? 

The  Jews  say  that  Joshua,  one  of  their  ancient 
Rabbis,  was  summoned  by  the  Emperor  Trajan,  who 
said,  "  You  teach  that  your  God  is  everywhere;  show 
him  to  me."  The  Rabbi  answered,  "No  mortal  eye 
can  behold  him."  "  I  am  the  emperor;  show  him  to 
me."  "No  man  can  see  God  and  live;  but  I  will 
show  thee  one  of  his  ambassadors. "  "  Where  is  he  ?  " 
The  Rabbi  pointed  to  the  noonday  sun.  The  Emperor 
exclaimed,  "  It  dazzles  me  !  "  And  Joshua  said,  "If 
thou  canst  not  look  upon  one  of  his  creatures,  how 
canst  thou  behold  him  who  is  Creator  of  all  ?  " 

On  one  occasion  Moses,  being  fearful  and  dis- 
couraged, prayed,  "O  God,  show  me  thy  glory!" 
And  the  Lord  said,  "I  will  make  my  goodness  pass 
before  thee,  and  I  will  proclaim  my  name  before 
thee."  And  Moses  hid  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock  and 
waited.  He  heard  the  rustle  of  a  garment,  and  saw 
a  shadow  pass  by.     That  was  all. 

In  the  darkest  hour  of  Jewish  history  the  prophet 
Elijah  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  enhearten  him.  A  rushing  wind  swept 
over  the  mountain,  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the 
wind.  Then  the  earth  shook  and  trembled;  but  the 
Lord   was  not  in  the   earthquake.     Then  a  mighty 


THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST.        207 

conflagration;  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  fire. 
After  that  a  still,  small  voice,  and  the  voice  said, 
**What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah?  Return  to  thy 
work/' 

The  Prophet  Isaiah,  under  similar  circumstances, 
beheld  a  vision.  He  saw  the  Lord  upon  a  throne 
high  and  lifted  up;  and  his  train  filled  the  temple. 
He  heard  the  seraphim  crying  to  one  another, 
"Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts!  "  and  the 
house  was  filled  with  ''the  smoke  of  his  presence." 
Then  the  prophet  cried,  "Woe  is  me!  for  I  am  un- 
done; because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips:  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  the  king!"  In  fact  he  had  only  seen 
the  Shechinah,  the  luminous  cloud  in  which  God 
tempered  the  brightness  of  His  glory;  and  it  af- 
frighted him.  Then  one  of  the  seraphim  came  with  a 
live  coal  from  the  altar,  and  laid  it  upon  his  lips,  and 
a  voice  asked,  "Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go 
for  us  ?  "  And  the  prophet,  strengthened  by  his 
vision,  replied,  ''  Here  am  I;  send  me." 

It  thus  appears  that  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  in- 
effable glory  is  to  be  mightily  stimulated  for  service. 
We  turn  aside  to  frivolous  pursuits,  forget  the  great 
commission,  squander  our  energies,  lose  heart,  and 
fall  into  doubt  and  perplexity  for  lack  of  the  vision. 
If  to  know  God  is  life,  to  see  his  glory  is  a  girdle  of 
faithfulness.  O  that  he  would  shine  into  our  hearts 
to  give  the  light  of  his  glory! 

III.  In  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  At  the  moment 
when  Paul  was  struck  with  blindness,  this  is  what  he 
saw — the  divine  glory  shining  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Nowhere  else  can  this  glory  be  unveiled  to 
human  sight.     We  cannot  look  on  God,  in  his  essen- 


208       THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST 

tial  being,  and  live;  but  in  the  incarnation  he  has 
condescended  to  reveal  himself  to  us. 

Paul  had  never  seen  Jesus  in  the  flesh.  He  had 
heard  of  him  as  a  carpenter,  a  man  of  the  people,  a 
setter-forth  of  strange  truths.  He  had  heard  of  his 
sermons,  of  his  miracles,  of  his  ignominious  death, 
of  his  alleged  resurrection:  and  he  had  doubtless 
taken  all  these  with  a  grain  of  allowance.  But  now 
he  saw  him,  heard  his  voice,  saw  God's  glory  shining 
in  his  face.  He  no  longer  wore  a  crown  of  thorns, 
no  longer  bore  the  marks  of  blood  and  spitting.  His 
face  was  illumined  with  a  light  above  the  brightness 
of  the  sun.  His  simple  word,  "I  am  Jesus,"  born 
with  it  an  irresistible  force  of  conviction.  No  need 
of  argument  ;  the  glory  in  the  face  of  Jesus  was 
enough.  He  whom  Saul  of  Tarsus  had  despised  as 
the  crucified  Nazarene  w^as  indeed  '' the  brightness 
of  the  Father's  glory  and  the  express  image  of  his 
person."  In  that  moment  Saul  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  as  the  unveiling  of 
the  Infinite  and  Eternal  One. 

Is  it  not  singular  that  in  the  inspired  biographies 
of  Jesus  there  is  no  description  of  his  face  ?  In  vain 
have  the  great  masters  tried  to  portray  it.  Rubens, 
Murillo,  DaVinci,  Raphael,  Titian,  Guido,  Angelo, 
Fra  Angelico,  all  have  attempted  this  in  vain.  But 
those  w^ho  believe  in  Christ  have  something  better 
than  a  portrait,  better  than  a  historic  description, 
better  than  an  artist's  ideal.  In  the  heart  of  every 
believer  there  is  a  face,  bright  with  transcendent 
beauty,  which  words  cannot  describe;  but  day  by 
day  he  lives  in  the  light  of  it  and  rejoices  in  the  glory 
of  it. 


THE    GLORY    IN    THE    fACE    OF    JESUS   CHRIST.       209 

And,  however  we  may  differ  as  to  our  conception 
of  this  divine  face,  there  are  some  particulars  in 
which  all  will  agree:  {\)  It  is  a  pure  face.  And  herein 
it  is  unique.  All  human  faces  bear  the  marks  of  sin. 
What  we  call  beauty  is  merely  conventional.  There 
is  no  beauty  but  the  beauty  of  holiness;  and  this  is 
never  seen,  in  its  perfection,  in  any  human  counte- 
nance. Sin  ploughs  furrows  across  the  brow,  cor- 
rupts the  blood  and  blears  the  eyes.  Retribution 
leaves  its  traces  on  the  fairest  features  and  heredity 
perpetuates  the  blemish.  A  photographer's  negative 
must  be  "  retouched,"  not  because  his  art  is  imper-  "^ 
feet,  or  the  light  is  in  default,  but  because  the  human 
face  is  unfit  to  bear  the  searching  processes  of  the 
sun.  In  the  face  of  Jesus,  however,  there  was  no 
defect.  There  was  no  guile  in  his  heart,  nor  could 
there  be  outward  sign  of  it.  He  is  fairer  than  the 
children  of  men;  grace  is  poured  into  his  lips. 

It  is  (2)  a  strong  face.  The  mark  of  manly  power  is 
upon  it.  He  wakes  from  sleep  and,  stretching  his 
hands  over  the  tempest,  says,  ''Be  still!"  and  the 
boisterous  waves,  like  chastened  children,  sob  them- 
selves to  sleep.  He  speaks  to  the  demons  who  have 
possessed  the  soul  of  the  Gadarene,  "Come  forth!  " 
and  the  next  moment  the  man  has  thrown  himself 
penitent  and  weeping  before  him.  To  his  enemies 
who  seek  him  in  the  garden  he  suddenly  appears; 
and  before  the  brightness  of  his  countenance  they 
fall  as  dead  men.  Passing  by  the  receipt  of  customs, 
he  says  to  Matthew,  "Follow  me!"  and  the  man 
without  murmur  or  questioning,  rises  up  and  follows 
him.  He  preaches  in  the  streets:  "  Come  unto  me 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 


2IO       THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST. 

you  rest;"  and  one  of  his  congregation — a  lost, 
friendless,  despairing  woman, — follows  him  to  his 
home  and  empties  an  alabaster  box  of  precious  oil  of 
spikenard  on  his  feet. 

It  is  (3)  a  loving  face.  He  alone  of  all  the  great 
teachers  of  history  opens  his  arms  to  the  children, 
saying,  *' Suffer  them  to  come  unto  me."  He  weeps 
over  Jerusalem  at  the  very  hour  when  its  rulers 
and  people  are  preparing  to  crucify  him,  saying, 
*'How  often  would  I  have  gathered  you  as  a  hen 
doth  gather  her  brood  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not!"  In  the  agony  of  bitter  death  he  turns 
his  face  toward  the  penitent  thief,  saying,  "To-day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise." 

It  is  hard  to  understand  how  any  man  can  look 
thoughtfully  and  fixedly  on  the  face  of  Jesus,  shining 
thus  with  the  divine  glory, — the  glory  of  holiness  and 
power  and  love, — without  yielding  to  him  in  humble 
submission,  saying,  "My  Lord,  my  life,  my  sacrifice, 
my  Saviour  and  my  all  !  "  But,  alas  !  we  will  not  look 
fixedly  and  thoughtfully  at  him. 

One  of  our  poets  tells  of  a  Brahman  pundit  who 
sat  with  the  Shaster  in  one  hand  and  the  Bible  in  the 
other,  hesitating  between  them  "  How  may  I  know," 
he  cried,  "  if  this  or  this  be  God?  "  He  had  passed  his 
life  in  the  ancestral  faith;  but  as  he  read  the  gospels, 
the  magnetic  power  of  Jesus  came  upon  him.  He 
formed  a  desperate  resolution, — he  would  test  Brahma 
at  the  dagger's  point!  That  night  he  made  his  way 
into  the  temple;  trembling  in  every  limb,  he  crept 
along  the  colonnades  of  minor  gods,  fearful  lest 
Brahma  might  at  any  moment  lay  a  fierce  hand  upon 
him.     He  strengthened  himself  in  the  assurance  that 


THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST.       211 

he  came  not  to  scoff  nor  to  deny,  but  to  know  the 
truth.  At  length  he  reached  the  great  image.  Let 
the  poet  tell  what  followed : 

"  Full  in  the  idol's  breast  the  blade 
Was  plunged.     There  came  no  moan. 

The  Pundit  dropped  with  stifling  joy  upon  the  pavement  stone, 
Sobbing,  '  My  Brahma  is  a  lie;  the  Christ  is  God,  alone  !'  " 

A  simpler,  better  test  is  this:  to  calmly  ponder  on 
Christ  at  Calvary, —  to  look  upon  his  face,  marred 
but  divinely  beautiful,  until  the  eye  shall  affect  the 
heart, — to  look  until  the  divine  glory  shall  overspread 
it  like  a  rising  sun.  The  Cross  is  the  touchstone  of 
truth. 

Domenichino,  in  his  picture  of  the  Crucifixion, 
represents  a  group  of  angels  hovering  above  the 
cross.  One  of  them,  with  a  look  of  wonder  and  per- 
plexity, is  touching  the  points  of  the  thorny  crown. 
Aye,  let  him  wonder,  for  never  was  love  like  this! 
And  you,  my  comrade  in  the  earnest  quest  of  truth, 
ga.  on  this  face  of  Jesus;  for  the  great  revelation  is 
here  and  nowhere  else.  This  is  your  East,  whence 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  must  arise  to  find  its 
shining  way  into  your  heart. 

"  O  could  I  speak  the  matchless  worth, 
O  could  I  sound  the  glories  forth, 

Which  in  my  Saviour  shine  ; 
I'd  soar  and  touch  the  heavenly  strings. 
And  vie  with  Gabriel  while  he  sings 

In  notes  almost  divine." 

And  here  is  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  life;  to 
see  the  great  Sacrifice,  to  hear  the  voice  that  Paul 
heard,  saying,  "  I  am  Jesus."  As  we  look,  the  eyes 
of  Jesus,  filming  in  death,  beam  with  an  unearthly 


2  12       THE    GLORY    IN    THE    FACE    OF    JESUS    CHRIST. 

love;  his  lips,  parched  with  the  last  fever,  are  mov- 
ing, and  his  hands,  nailed  to  the  accursed  tree,  are 
Stretched  out.  "  His  hands  are  stretched  out  still!  " 
Did  we  say  once,  "He  hath  no  form  or  comeliness, 
and  there  is  no  beauty  that  we  should  desire  him  "  ? 
Ah,  he  is  the  ''chief est  among  ten  thousand,  the  one 
altogether  lovely. "  And  if  we  behold  him  thus  in 
his  humility,  wearing  the  glory  of  heaven  on  his  face, 
how  will  he  appear  when  he  sitteth  on  his  throne 
high  and  lifted  up  ? 

"  Well,  the  delightful  day  will  come 
When  my  dear  Lord  will  bring  me  home, 

And  I  shall  see  his  face  ; 
Then  with  my  Saviour,  Brother,  Friend, 
A  blest  eternity  I'll  spend. 

Triumphant  in  his  grace." 


THE  DIGNITY  OF  LABOR. 

"  And  the  Lord  God  took  the  man  and  put  him  into  the  garden  of  Eden  to 
dress  and  keep  it." — Gen.  2,  15. 

Why  was  not  Adam  placed  in  an  automatic  garden 
that  would  dress  and  keep  itself  ?  Had  the  matter 
been  left  to  him,  he  might  have  chosen  to  sit  under 
the  trees  listening  to  singing  birds  and  murmuring 
brooks,  watching  the  panorama  of  clouds  sweeping 
by,  saying  sweet  nothings  to  Eve  and  building  castles 
in  the  air.  But  the  Lord  knew  best.  He  knew  that 
under  such  conditions  the  man  would  run  to  adipose 
tissue  and  fail  to  develop  the  possibilities  that  were 
within  him.  He  knew  also  that  "Satan  finds  some 
mischief  still  for  idle  hands  to  do." 

It  is  the  fashion  in  these  times,  in  certain  quarters, 
to  look  on  manual  labor  as  ''bad  form."  It  must 
shock  the  sensibilities  of  some  people  to  reflect  that 
their  remotest  ancestor  was  aworkingman;  and,  alas 
for  them!  the  second  Adam  also  was  a  workingman. 
In  one  of  the  famous  satires  of  Celsus  directed  against 
the  Christian  religion,  he  says,  "It  is  abominable  to 
suggest  that  God  should  have  sent  his  only-begotten 
Son  into  the  world  to  be  a  carpenter."  On  the  con- 
trary this  is  precisely  what  we  should  expect.  If  the 
only-begotten  Son  is  to  assume  our  humanity,  it  is 
natural  that  he  should  take  the  form  not  of  the  lowest 

(213) 


214 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR. 


nor  of  the  highest,  but  of  the  average  man.  This  is 
precisely  what  he  does.  The  effort  to  adorn  him  with 
a  luminous  halo  is  quite  futile;  he  could  have  no 
more  fitting  crown  than  the  workman's  cap.  He 
belongs  to  the  Third  Estate;  he  is  distinctly  a  man  of 
the  people,  a  man  among  men. 

I  speak  of  the  Dignity  of  Labor.  It  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  a  curse  was  originally  put  upon  labor 
by  reason  of  Adam's  sin.  The  ground  was  indeed 
"accursed  for  his  sake."  All  nature  bears  the  mark 
of  attainder.  "I  went  by  the  field  of  the  slothful 
and,  lo,  it  was  all  grown  over  with  thorns;  and  net- 
tles had  covered  the  face  thereof,  and  the  stone  wall 
thereof  was  broken  down."  It  is  the  curse  of  indo- 
lence. Industry  must  lift  the  ban.  Our  present 
purpose  is  to  show  that  labor  is  every  way  blessed 
and,  like  matrimony,  "  honorable  in  all." 

I.  //  is  the  ordinance  of  nature.  "In  the  sweat  of  thy 
face  shalt  thou  eat  bread  "  is  the  primal  law.  The 
apostle  puts  it  in  negative  form,  "If  any  will  not 
work,  neither  let  him  eat." 

God  never  made  a  loaf  of  bread.  He  made  a  man 
and  a  field:  and  to  the  man  he  said,  "  Behold,  I  have 
made  a  field;  you  must  do  the  rest."  If  the  man 
refuses  to  till  the  soil,  reap  the  harvest,  grind  the 
corn  and  bake  the  flour,  he  shall  not  eat  bread. — God 
never  made  a  coat.  He  made  a  man  and  a  sheep ;  and 
to  the  man  he  said,  "Lo,  I  have  made  a  sheep,  and  wool 
to  grow  upon  its  back;  you  must  do  the  rest."  If  the 
man  will  not  shear  the  fleece,  and  card  the  wool,  and 
spin  and  weave  it,  his  back  will  go  bare. — God  never 
made  a  house.  He  made  a  man  and  a  forest;  and  to 
the  man  he  said,  "Go  into  the  forest,  fell  a  tree  and 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR.  215 

make  for  yourself  a  house;  or  you  shalt  have  no  roof 
to  shelter  you." 

The  man  who  will  not  work  is  out  of  harmony 
with  nature.  The  world  is  a  vast  laboratory;  air, 
earth  and  water  are  ever  busy  in  the  work  of  decom- 
position and  reconstruction.  Listen  and  you  may 
hear  the  sounds  of  the  formative  processes;  wheels 
revolving  and  dynamos  at  work.  The  furnaces  are 
never  extinguished.  Force  is  being  turned  out  in 
various  forms  and  applied  to  its  manifold  uses.  Bees 
are  making  honey,  birds  are  building  nests,  lions  are 
hunting  their  prey,  beasts  of  burden  are  plodding 
along  the  beaten  paths.  The  indolent  man  is  a  loose 
pin  in  the  machine.  The  order  of  nature  would  be 
better  without  him. 

II.  Labor  is  the  safeguard  of  society.  What  is  society? 
A  mutual  organization  with  a  common  fund.  All 
members  of  this  organization  are  bound  to  be  pro- 
ducers,— that  is,  contributors  to  the  common  fund. 

The  great  sociological  problem  is  how  to  deal  with 
the  non-producers.  We  have  jails  and  reformatories 
for  criminals,  and  asylums  for  the  helpless;  but  w^hat 
shall  be  done  with  the  non-producing  classes — those 
who  violate  no  law  but  the  primal  law  of  industry? 

There  is  the  multitudinous  army  of  tramps.  The 
sum  total  of  their  philosophy  is,  "  The  world  owes 
me  a  living."  In  fact  the  world  owes  no  man  a 
living;  it  owes  him  merely  the  opportunity  to  make  a 
living  for  himself.  In  this  particular  they  do  not 
serve  who  "only  stand  and  wait." 

A  still  more  difficult  class  is  the  idle  aristocracy. 
The  world  groans  under  its  burden  of  respectable 
ne'er-do-weels.     I  am  sorry  for  a  rich  man's  son.     As 


2l6  THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR. 

a  rule  an  inheritance  is  a  curse.  There  are  splendid 
exceptions;  but  a  youth  must  have  a  brave  heart, 
broad  shoulders  and  a  strong  vertebral  column,  in 
order  to  bear  up  under  a  patrimony  and  not  be  ruined 
by  it.  It  is  a  mistaken  kindness  in  fathers  to  relieve 
their  sons  of  the  responsibilities  of  common  toil.  We 
are  told  that  nine  out  of  ten  sons  of  wealthy  men,  in 
the  struggle  of  commercial  life,  are  driven  to  the  wall. 
Who  are  the  successful  men  in  New  York  ?  A  few 
years  ago  most  of  them  were  living  on  the  farm, 
rising  at  five  in  the  morning  and  drawing  on  woolen 
mittens  to  do  the  chores  and  water  the  stock.  In  due 
time,  moved  by  a  splendid  ambition,  they  came  to 
the  metropolis,  seeking  a  larger  field  of  labor.  And, 
while  the  scions  of  rich  fathers  were  waiting  on  the 
ground  floor  for  an  elevator  to  carry  them  up,  these 
brawny  youths  climbed  the  stairway,  three  steps  at  a 
time,  to  the  "  room  at  the  top." 

A  word  also  as  to  our  young  ladies.  It  is  greatly 
to  the  credit  of  many  that  they  are  able  to  meet  the 
trials  and  temptations  of  society  with  no  sacrifice  of 
true  womanhood.  But  there  are  others  whose  lives 
are  utterly  giddy  and  frivolous;  who  turn  night  into 
day  and  day  into  night ;  devote  their  noblest  energies 
to  formal  calls,  novel  reading,  embroidery,  the  elab- 
orate duties  of  the  toilet  and  "social  functions." 
Miss  Flora  McFlimsy,  who  "had  nothing  to  wear," 
has  passed  out  of  vogue ;  but  multitudes  are  left  who, 
more  unfortunately,  have  nothing  to  do.  Their  busi- 
ness is  "  to  amuse  and  to  be  amused,  to  see  and  to  be 
seen,  to  follow  in  the  train  of  fashion,  to  turn  life  into 
a  pageant  or  a  song, "  The  summit  of  their  aspira- 
tion is  reached  when  they  go  decked  and   smiling  to 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR.  217 

the  connubial  altar;  for  what  is  better  than  to  be  a 
beautiful  ivy  with  a  stalwart  oak  to  cling  to  ?  And 
when  the  end  is  reached,  there  is  nothing  behind  save 
the  memory  of  giddy  hours;  and  before?  The  judg- 
ment day.  The  end  of  all  is  a  tombstone  whereon 
should  be  inscribed,  "Vanity  of  vanities." 

III.  Labor  is  the  secret  of  happiness.  The  song  of  the 
toiler  is  the  melody  that  has  gladdened  the  earth. 
Who  are  the  people  that  complain  of  the  blues  and 
the  doldrums,  of  jaundice  and  melancholia  ?  Who 
are  the  woebegone  and  discontented,  the  grievers 
and  complainers,  les  miser ables  ?  You  will  not  find 
them  in  busy  shops  and  counting  rooms,  but  among 
those  who  have  nothing  to  do.  The  happy  people 
are  those  who  go  whistling  to  their  tasks.  They  have 
no  leisure  for  fret  and  worry;  and  their  fare  is  too 
simple  to  induce  dyspepsia.  It  is  a  true  saying, 
*'  The  heart  of  the  toiler  has  throbbings  that  stir  not 
the  bosom  of  kings." 

IV.  Labor  is  the  key  to  success.  This  is  our  objective 
point — success.  The  men  whom  we  meet  along  the 
thronging  thoroughfares  are  all  addressing  them- 
selves to  it. 

It  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized  that  there  is 
no  ''Northwest  Passage"  to  this  Eldorado.  "The 
longest  way  around  is  the  shortest  way  there."  As  a 
rule,  success  comes  to  those  who  deserve  it. 

You  are  making  a  mistake,  young  man,  if  you 
think  that  you  can  "live  on  your  wits."  The  effort 
to  circumvent  the  ordinary  methods  of  gaining  a 
livelihood  or  winning  a  fortune  are  quite  futile.  I 
know  an  honest  artisan  who  ruined  himself  by  invent- 
ing   a    washing-machine.       He   left   his   bench    and 


2l8  THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR. 

devoted  himself  to  the  development  of  his  idea.  It 
was  a  good  machine — barring  only  the  trivial  fact 
that  it  would  not  wash.  The  inventor  went  hither 
and  yon,  searching  for  capital  to  back  his  enterprise. 
He  talked  nothing  but  washing-machines,  dreamed 
only  washing-machines.  He  grew  threadbare  and 
hollow-cheeked.  The  last  I  heard  of  him  he  was  still 
pursuing  his  will-o'-the-wisp. 

It  is  an  equally  grave  mistake  to  resort  to  specula- 
tion. A  commission  merchant  in  Detroit  recently 
said,  that  probably  one-third  of  the  young  business 
men  of  that  thrifty  city  are  crippled  by  investing  in 
options.  Poor  Micawber  !  It  should  be  understood 
that  it  is  manifold  easier  to  turn  something  up  than 
to  wait  for  something  to  turn  up.  Poor  Colonel  Sel- 
lers !  His  counterparts  are  many;  dining  on  turnips 
and  water,  while  planning  great  enterprises  with 
millions  in  them. 

Are  you  thinking  of  the  Klondyke?  Be  well- 
advised.  Festina  lente  is  a  good  motto.  Stick  to  your 
bench;  plod;  a  day's  wage  is  better  than  the  philoso- 
pher's stone.  The  latest  advices  tell  of  two  men  who 
were  found  frozen  on  their  sledge,  returning  over  the 
Skaguay  trail.  On  their  persons  were  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  yellow  dust.  What  dreams  died 
with  them !  What  wasted  labors  and  privations  were 
theirs!  We  may  imagine  that,  as  they  set  out  on  the 
return,  one  said  to  the  other,  ''Well,  it's  been 
drudgery,  but  worth  while;  I  have  fifty  thousand 
dollars  in  my  belt."  And  his  friend  replied,  ''So 
have  I.  This  is  success."  But  what  shall  it  profit 
a  man  ? 

And    then    there   are    many    youths   who  lean  on 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR.  219 

patronage.  They  come  to  you  with  their  pockets 
full  of  credentials.  Blessed  is  the  youth  who  asks  no 
other  assistance  than  that  of  his  ten  fingers,  which 
are  his  ten  best  friends.  It  is  manly  to  shift  for  one's 
self.  It  is  knightly  to  win  one's  spurs.  Who  would 
be  a  potted  plant,  shielded  and  watered  and  trained 
on  a  stick  ?  Better  be  an  oak.  Put  an  acorn  into  a 
crevice,  and  it  will  strike  its  roots  downward  and 
reach  forth  its  tentacles,  searching  for  a  grip — the 
grip  that  is  always  better  than  a  pull — and  clasp  the 
rock  and  brace  itself  in  defiance  of  wind  and  tempest. 
Get  your  resolution  from  the  force  of  resistance,  my 
friend;  strengthen  yourself  in  your  own  brave  pur- 
pose for  the  fierce  struggles  of  life. 

Are  you  ambitious  to  be  as  great  as  Franklin  ?  as 
successful  as  Edison  ?  as  eloquent  as  Whitfield  ?  as 
immortal  as  Handel  ?  Do  you  mean  it  ?  Would  you 
condescend  to  push  a  wheelbarrow  through  the 
streets  of  Philadelphia,  as  Franklin  did  ?  Have  you 
patience  to  talk  into  a  cylinder  eighteen  hours  a  day 
for  seven  weary  months  to  get  one  aspirated  sound  ? 
If  not,  you  cannot  be  as  successful  as  Edison:  for 
that  is  precisely  what  he  did.  Would  you  be  willing 
to  black  the  boots  of  your  fellow-students  at  school  ? 
If  not,  you  cannot  expect  to  emulate  Whitfield;  for 
that  is  what  he  did.  Could  you  practice  on  a  harpsi- 
chord day  after  day,  night  after  night,  until  the  keys 
were  hollowed  like  a  spoon  under  your  industrious 
fingers  ?  If  not,  you  can  never  become  as  great  a 
musician  as  Handel;  for  it  was  thus  that  he  won  his 
claim  to  immortality. 

V.  Labor  is  the  basis  of  character.  For  what  is  char- 
acter but  a  well  rounded   and  thoroughly  developed 


220  THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR. 

bundle  of  energies.  Ask  an  electrician  why  the  arm- 
ature of  his  great  magnet  is  loaded  with  weights, 
and  he  will  tell  you  that  it  loses  power  when  it  has 
nothing  to  do.  So  is  it  with  a  man;  he  grows  by 
exercise.      In  indolence  he  runs  to  seed. 

This  is  true  of  national  as  of  individual  character. 
Industry  is  the  measure  of  civilization.  Savages  re- 
fuse to  work.  They  have  no  agriculture ;  they  prefer 
to  live  on  what  grows  of  itself.  They  have  no  man- 
ufactures; a  stone  hatchet  is  easier  to  get  than  a 
Damascus  blade.  They  have  no  commerce;  a  hollow 
log  will  answer  their  indolent  needs.  The  moment 
you  furnish  a  dugout  with  sails  and  rudder,  that  it 
may  venture  farther  from  the  shore,  you  are  passing 
from  barbarism  to  civilization. 

A  few  years  ago,  while  we  were  camping  among  the 
Sioux,  above  Lake  Superior,  the  Indians  often  came 
with  berries  to  sell.  They  approached  in  Indian  file, 
the  braves  trotting  in  front — tall,  stalwart  and  empty- 
handed,  and  after  them  the  squaws,  bending  under 
the  heavy  mokucks  of  berries.  It  was  beneath  the  dig- 
nity of  the  braves  to  perform  any  sort  of  manual  toil. 

The  effect  of  indolence  upon  a  nation  finds  an  apt 
illustration  in  Spain.  No  country  on  earth  has  a 
richer  soil;  they  say,  ''  If  you  tickle  it  with  a  hoe,  it 
laughs  with  a  harvest."  But,  unfortunately  for  the 
Castilian  race,  they  have  a  prejudice  against  the  hoe. 
They  are  given  to  bull-fighting  and  fan-flirting  and 
love-making.  Once  there  were  twelve  thousand  vil- 
lages along  the  Guadalquiver;  now  there  are  but 
eight  hundred — the  land  has  fallen  into  innocuous 
desuetude.  The  people  are  a  race  of  beggars,  more 
or  less  respectable.     There  is  no  greatness  in  Spain. 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR.  221 

If  the  kingdom  were  to  perish  from  the  earth,  it 
would  leave  no  laws,  no  literature,  nothing  as  a  leg- 
acy to  posterity.  The  pride  of  the  Spaniards  is  vast 
and  ludicrous.  Their  strength  has  been  bluster  for 
centuries.  Little  Holland,  with  less  than  three  mil- 
lions of  people,  fought  Spain,  one  generation  taking 
up  the  fight  where  the  last  had  left  it,  until  Philip 
III.  begged  for  an  armistice.  They  are  unable  even 
to  subdue  Cuba.  Poor,  famished  Cuba!  What  a 
pathetic  farce  is  this;  that  the  grandees  of  Spain, 
with  their  fleets  and  their  armies,  should  be  success- 
fully resisted  by  a  few  brave  islanders,  whose  ranks 
are  decimated  by  slaughter,  famine  and  plague! 

We,  on  the  contrary,  have  been  derided  as  "a 
nation  of  shopkeepers  and  artisans."  Our  glory  is 
in  the  truth  of  that  imputation.  Alas  for  us,  when 
we  consent  to  look  on  labor  with  Spanish  eyes!  If 
war  must  be  declared  against  Spain — which  God  for- 
fend — let  us  rejoice  that  a  call  for  volunteers  would  be 
answered,  as  it  was  when  Lincoln  made  his  historic 
appeal  for  a  ' '  hundred  thousand  more, "  not  by  volun- 
teers from  the  street  corners  and  drawing-rooms,  but 
from  the  fields  and  the  workshops.  Here  is  the  source 
of  our  greatness;  here  the  hope  of  our  perpetuity. 
The  true  American  is  neither  the  alms-taker  nor  the 
gentleman  of  leisure,  but  the  man  of  whom  Long- 
fellow sings: 

"Under  a  spreading  chestnut -tree 

The  village  smithy  stands; 
The  smith,  a  mighty  man  is  he, 

With  large  and  sinewy  hands, 
And  the  muscles  of  his  brawny  arms 

Are  strong  as  iron  bands. 


222  THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR. 

"  His  hair  is  crisp  and  black  and  long; 
His  face  is  like  the  tan; 
His  brow  is  wet  with  honest  sweat — 

He  earns  whate'er  he  can; 
And  he  looks  the  whole  world  in  the  face, 
For  he  owes  not  any  man." 

Two  thoughts  in  conclusion :  First^  Our  work  is  all 
for  God.  This  is  the  clause  which  "makes  drudgery- 
divine."  The  most  menial  of  duties  is  glorified  if  it 
be  performed  as  in  the  great  Taskmaster's  eye.  And 
Second^  Our  supreme  work  is  in  the  Kingdoju.  We  are 
in  constant  danger  of  concentrating  our  energies  upon 
the  getting  of  a  livelihood  to  the  neglect  of  our  real 
life.  The  Hindus,  at  one  of  their  festivals,  pay  divine 
honors  to  the  implements  of  their  trades.  The  black- 
smith brings  his  hammer,  the  carpenter  his  saw  and 
plane,  the  husbandman  his  rude  plow;  and  they  bow 
down  and  worship  them.  We  are  in  danger,  amid 
the  absorbing  competitions  of  secular  life,  of  falling 
into  a  similar  idolatry.  Let  us  be  diligent  in  busi- 
ness, fervent  in  spirit,  but  alwviys  serving  the  Lord. 
And  while  faithful  in  our  bread-and-butter  work,  let 
us  ever  remember  that  our  supreme  interest  is  in  the 
pursuits  of  the  higher  life. 

The  only-begotten  Son  of  God  came  from  heaven 
to  save  men.  In  due  time  he  entered  the  carpenter 
shop  and  toiled  as  other  men  ;  but  he  never  forgot  his 
supreme  work.  The  villagers  brought  in  their  furni- 
ture, the  farmers  their  plov/s  to  be  mended  ;  and  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth  gave  honest  work  for  honest 
wages.  But  the  thought  of  his  great  mission  was 
never  out  of  mind.  "I  have  a  baptism  to  be  bap- 
tized with;  and  how   is  my  soul   straitened    until  it 


THE    DIGNITY    OF    LABOR.  223 

shall  be  accomplished  !  "  When  he  had  reached  and 
passed  the  consummation  of  his  great  purpose  on 
Calvary,  he  gathered  his  disciples  about  him  and  said, 
as  he  had  said  before  to  them,  "As  the  Father  sent 
me  into  the  world,  so  send  I  you."  That  is,  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  are  ever  to  regard  themselves  as 
laborers  with  him  in  the  great  mission  of  delivering 
this  world  from  sin.  Be  faithful,  my  friend,  in  your 
workshop;  but,  in  the  name  of  our  dear  Lord,  let 
not  its  four  walls  confine  you.  Let  your  soul  be 
larger  than  your  shop.  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness.  This  is  the  glory  of 
Christian  living.  The  man  who  fails  to  apprehend 
this, — that  he  belongs  to  two  worlds  and  must  be 
ever  doing  two  things,  busy  in  the  shop  yet  ever  busy 
in  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom, — misses  the  oppor- 
tunity of  his  life.  Thanks  be  to  God  for  the  exalted 
privilege,  for  the  inestimable  honor,  which  he  has 
put  upon  us;  in  that  we  are  permitted  to  stand  in  the 
great  harvest,  wielding  our  sickle  by  the  side  of  his 
well-beloved  Son  ! 


A  PLEA  FOR  FANATICISM. 

"But  when  Sanballat  the  Horonite,  and  Tobiah  the  servant,  the  Ammon- 
ite, and  Geshem  the  Arabian,  heard  it,  they  laughed  us  to  scorn,  and  despised 
us,  and  said.  What  is  this  thing  that  ye  do?  "— Neh.  2,  19. 

The  Jews  who  returned  from  the  Babylonian  cap- 
tivity were  a  feeble  folk,  like  the  conies — feeble  in 
numbers,  but  great  in  courage  and  steadfastness. 
They  met  with  serious  opposition  when  they  set 
themselves  in  earnest  to  restore  the  ruined  city.  The 
heads  of  the  surrounding  tribes  at  first  accused  them 
of  conspiring  against  the  king  ;  this,  however,  was 
easily  refuted  by  the  decree  of  Artaxerxes.  They 
then  invited  the  Jews  to  submit  the  matter  of  contro- 
versy to  arbitration;  "Come,  let  us  meet  together 
in  some  one  of  the  villages  in  the  plain  of  Ono; "  the 
answer  was,  "We  are  doing  a  great  work,  so  that 
we  cannot  come  down."  The  hardest  thing  the  ex- 
iles had  to  bear,  however,  was  ridicule.  Their  op- 
posers  "were  wroth,  and  took  great  indignation,  and 
mocked  them."  Sanballat  said,  "What  do  these 
feeble  Jews  ?  will  they  fortify  themselves  ?  will  they 
accomplish  their  purpose  in  a  day  ?  will  they  revive 
their  city  out  of  the  rubbish  heaps  ?  "  And  his  com- 
rade Tobiah  laughingly  said,  "  If  a  fox  go  up,  he 
shall  even  break  down  their  stone  wall."  But  on 
went  the  work  until  the  walls  were  finished  and  dedi- 
cated "with  thanksgivings  and  singing,  with  cymbals 

(224) 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  225 

and  psalteries   and   harps."     They   laugh   best  who 
laugh  last. 

The  sharpest  weapon  of  Antichrist  in  our  time  is 
derision.  His  bow  is  laughter  and  his  arrows  are 
epithets.  We  no  longer  stand  in  terror  of  the  ax,  the 
fagot,  and  the  dungeon;  but  we  are  always  in  dan- 
ger of  being  laughed  down.  A  boy  at  school  finds  it 
easier  to  bear  the  discipline  of  the  birch  than  to  be 
told  that  he  is  restrained  by  his  mother's  apron  string. 
The  pointed  finger  is  a  deadlier  weapon  than  the 
naked  sword.  The  height  of  courage  is  to  stand  at 
our  places  in  the  building  of  the  wall,  regardless  of 
sneers  and  reproaches,  of  taunt  and  invective,  of  hiss- 
ing and  vituperation.  These  are  the  things  that  try 
the  soul  of  a*  man. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  a  few  youths 
in  Oxford  came  together  for  the  study  of  the  Script- 
ures. They  were  dubbed  "The  Holy  Club";  but 
they  smiled  and  pursued  their  work.  In  due  time 
the  members  of  this  association  carried  their  zeal  out 
into  the  larger  world  of  affairs ;  then  they  were  deri- 
sively called  "Methodists."  But  they  stood  to  their 
principles  and  glorified  God  in  that  name.  Among 
them  were  the  two  Wesleys  and  Whitfield.  They 
accepted  the  derisive  epithets  that  were  applied  to 
them  as  Samson  shouldered  the  gates  of  Gaza  and 
carried  them  away  to  the  mountain. 

Up  from  the  fens  of  England  came  a  company  of 
stalwart  yeomen  to  the  defense  of  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical freedom.  They  wore  no  frills  or  furbelows. 
Unlike  the  cavaliers,  whose  curls  fell  over  their  shoul- 
ders, their  hair  was  cropped.  They  were  greeted 
with  the  epithet  "  Roundheads."    They  made  no  un- 


/p 


226  A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM. 

civil  reply,  but  marched  on  to  Marston  Moor;  there, 
with  the  shout,  "God  with  us !  "  they  set  the  cavaliers 
aflying  like  chaff  before  the  wind. 

In  1666  a  company  of  Dutch  nobles  appeared  be- 
fore the  Regent  to  protest  against  the  impositions  of 
the  Council  of  Trent.  Count  Berlaymont,  observing 
the  Regent's  trepidation,  said,  "Fear  not,  your  Maj- 
esty; they  are  but  a  pack  of  beggars."  They  forth- 
with hung  about  their  necks  the  beggar's  wallet,  and 
marshaled  an  army  against  the  legions  of  Spain. 
Their  cry,  "Oranje  boven!"  rang  through  the  Hol- 
low-Land, and  "  The  Water  Beggars  "  became  a  name 
to  juggle  with. 

The  fiercest  of  the  weapons  turned  against  our 
Master  was  ridicule.  Some  of  the  finest  things  that 
were  ever  said  of  him  were  said  in  epithetic  form. 
They  called  him  "The  Carpenter";  accepting  the 
title,  he  gave  dignity  to  common  toil,  and  became  for 
all  time  the  champion  of  the  Third  Estate.  They 
called  him  "The  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners"; 
not  resenting  it,  he  chose  for  an  apostle  Matthew  the 
publican,  and  said  to  the  Magdalene,  "Go  in  peace." 
They  crowned  him  with  thorns  and  bowed  before  him 
in  mock  obeisance,  saying,  ' '  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews !  " 
The  epithet  was  inscribed  on  the  titulum  which  was 
nailed  to  the  cross.  He  is  honored  and  worshiped 
to-day  as  King  of  the  whole  Israel  of  God. 

Blessed  is  the  man  who,  in  defence  of  his  princi- 
ples, can  thus  turn  to  advantage  the  weapons  of  his 
foes.  When  some  one  said  to  Diogenes,  who  lifted 
his  voice  against  the  sensuous  pleasures  of  his  time, 
"  Thine  enemies  deride  thee,"  he  answered  bravely, 
"  Nevertheless,  I  am  not  derided  !  "     The  man  who 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  227 

is  sensible  of  right  intention  and  high  aspiration  can 
afford  to  rise  superior  to  puerile  opposition.  Shall 
we  expect  to  be  exempt  ?  "  Woe  unto  you  when  all 
men  speak  well  of  you." 

I.  You  have  opinions;  and  because  they  are  deeply 
grounded  in  mind  and  conscience  and  heart,  you  are 
tenacious  of  them.  My  friend,  you  are  a  bigot!  The 
** liberals  "  will  tell  you  that  Christianity  is  not  doc- 
trine, but  life.     They  will  quote  with  unction, 

"  For  forms  of  faith  let  canting  bigots  fight ; 
His  faith  cannot  be  wrong,  whose  life  is  right." 

They  cannot  understand  why  you  should  be  a 
stickler  for  a  creed.  If  you  still  insist,  they  will  tell 
you  frankly  that  you  are  narrow  and  intolerant.  Do 
not  flinch,  now.  Do  not  resent  it.  Plead  guilty, 
and,  as  a  bigot,  proceed  to  glorify  God. 

For,  what  is  a  bigot?  Webster  says,  *' One  who 
is  stubbornly  wedded  to  a  particular  creed."  So  be 
it.  There  are  some  truths  which,  when  a  man  has 
accepted  them,  are  so  interwoven  with  the  very  fibers 
of  his  being  that  he  cannot  keep  his  manhood  and 
surrender  or  qualify  them. 

You  believe  in  God ;  a  personal  God ;  a  God  whom 
you  can  call,  *'  Our  Father";  a  God  who  has  eyes  to 
see,  a  heart  to  pity,  and  hands  to  help.  A  scientific 
friend  comes  to  you,  saying,  "  I  also  believe  in  God; 
an  all  -  pervading  force,  a  something  -  not  -  ourselves 
that-maketh-for-righteousness,  the  essence  of  things. 
Why,  then,  can  we  not  walk  together  ?  "  And  what 
can  you  answer  ?  ''  Nay,  friend,  there  is  a  great  gulf 
between  us.  I  am  stubbornly  wedded  to  my  faith  in 
a  personal  God." 


228  A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM. 

You  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  manifestation  of 
this  God.  He  is  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  his  person.  He  that  hath 
seen  Christ  hath  seen  the  Father.  He  is  very  God  of 
very  God.  A  Unitarian  friend  appeals  to  you: 
"  Why  should  we  not  walk  together  ?  I  also  believe 
in  Christ;  he  was  the  noblest  man  that  ever  lived. 
Shall  we  not,  then,  abide  in  fellowship  ?  "  What  can 
you  say  ?  ''  Friend,  we  differ  at  the  vital  point.  The 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  one  of  the  non-essen- 
tials. It  is  the  root  and  foundation  of  all.  I  cannot 
surrender  it  for  friendship's  sake." 

You  believe  in  the  Bible;  you  have  taken  it  as  your 
only  and  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice;  you 
say,  It  is  the  Word  of  God;  and  you  are  not  juggling 
with  words.  A  friend,  who  favors  the  Higher  Criti- 
cism, comes  to  you  saying,  * '  I  too  believe  in  the  Bible ; 
not  as  a  true  book,  indeed;  but  as  a  book  true  in 
spots.  Why  should  we  part  company  on  so  trivial  a 
matter  ?  "  What  must  you  answer,  as  an  honest 
man  ?  Tell  him  the  Bible  is  the  only  historic  witness 
of  Jesus  Christ;  and  that  a  man,  therefore,  cannot 
part  company  with  the  Bible  and  keep  company  with 
Christ.  Tell  Him  that  the  Bible  is  inspired,  that  is, 
"  God  -  breathed,"  and  that  God  could  not  have 
breathed  a  lie. 

You  believe  in  Justification  by  Faith;  the  great 
doctrine  of  the  evangelical  Church;  '"'' ariiculum  eccle- 
sicB  stantis  aut  cadentis. "  A  rationalistic  friend  says, 
''What  difference  does  it  make?  All  ways  lead  to 
Rome.  There  is  good  in  all  religions  and  philoso- 
phies. Some  people  are  saved  by  works,  others  by 
penance,  still  others  by  liturgical  forms.    Let  us  hope, 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  229 

however,  that  we  shall  all  come  together  at  heaven's 
gate."  Are  you  loyal  to  your  Christian  profession? 
Tell  him,  then,  all  ways  may  lead  to  Rome,  but  there  is 
only  one  way  that  leads  to  heaven ;  to-wit,  the  royal 
way  of  the  Cross.  "For  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men  whereby  we  must  be 
saved." 

In  taking  such  positions  you  will  be  charged  with 
intolerance.  Nevertheless  the  world  will  respect 
you.  In  the  end  you  will  sacrifice  no  friendships, 
but  win  the  profound  regard  of  those  who  differ  with 
you.  In  any  case  we  must  be  true  to  our  convictions. 
We  must  stand  for  what  we  believe.  We  cannot 
compromise. 

A  few  years  ago  a  black  man  came  to  the  ticket 
office  of  the  Albany  Line,  in  this  city,  registered  his 
name,  and  asked  for  a  stateroom.  The  clerk  was 
much  embarrassed  on  perceiving  that  the  name  was 
"Frederick  Douglass,  Negro."  He  said,  "I  am  ex- 
tremely sorry,  but  the  rules  of  the  company  require 
that  colored  men  shall  sleep  on  the  lower  deck.  But 
if  you  will  kindly  allow  me  to  substitute  '  Indian  '  for 
'Negro,'  I  can  give  you  a  stateroom."  Mr.  Douglass 
replied  with  indignation,  "  No,  sir!  Put  me  down 
Negro,  plain  Negro,  and  I  will  sleep  in  the  hold." 
He  who  does  not  respect  such  courage  as  that,  lacks 
the  spirit  of  a  man. 

II.  You  have  a  conscience  ;  you  have  a  clear  appre- 
hension of  the  difference  between  right  and  wrong; 
you  are  scrupulous  in  avoiding  whatever  is  contrary 
to  this  rule  of  conduct.  My  friend,  yo7i  are  a  Puritan! 
This  is  what  your  free-and-easy  friend  will  tell  you. 
And,  I  pray  you,  do  not  begin  to  deny  or  to  apolo- 


230  A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM. 

gize.  Do  not  enter  any  defense.  Plead  guilty  to 
the  charge,  and  proceed  to  justify  it. 

Who  were  the  Puritans  ?  The  best  men  of  their 
time.  They  had  their  faults  ;  they  walked  with 
a  measured  gait,  wore  a  too  melancholy  visage 
and  spoke  with  a  nasal  twang.  They  inveighed 
against  the  Maypole  and  deemed  it  sacrilege  to  eat 
plum  pudding  on  Christmas  day.  But  there  was  a 
sweet  kernel  in  that  rough  nut.  We  can  forgive  the 
Puritans  for  leaning  a  little  backward  in  their  devo- 
tion to  conscience,  when  we  remember  the  lax  morals 
of  those  days.  It  is  better  to  err  on  the  side  of 
strict  morality  than  to  be  lax  and  lawless.  Better  be 
a  precisian  than  a  Parisian  ;  better  be  strait-laced 
than  rickety.  Hands  off  the  memory  of  the  Puri- 
tans !  No  braver  men  ever  lived.  Macaulay  says, 
"No  man  ever  despised  them  who  had  met  them 
in  debate,  or  crossed  swords  with  them  on  the 
embattled  field." 

For  two  great  principles  they  stood  with  a  patient 
and  unswerving  courage: — First^  for  the  sanctity  of 
the  Moral  Law.  They  believed  in  the  Decalogue  as 
it  is  interpreted  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  They 
denounced  the  custom  of  profanity,  so  current  in 
their  day.  We  are  largely  indebted  to  them  for  the 
institution  of  the  Christian  home;  the  family  altar 
with  the  Bible  on  it  and  the  household  gathered 
around  it.  We  are  greatly  indebted  to  them,  also, 
for  the  preservation  of  the  holy  Sabbath.  They 
denounced  the  "Book  of  Sports"  which  represented 
the  loose  morals  of  the  Stuart  family — the  meanest 
family  that  ever  wielded  sceptre  or  wore  crown — 
which  finds  its  exact  counterpart  in  the  diluted  piety 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  23I 

of  those  who  favor  our  Sunday  newspapers  and 
athletic  games  on  the  Lord's  day. 

Second^  they  contended  for  the  freedom  of  the  indi- 
vidual conscience  as  against  all  interference  of  civil 
or  ecclesiastical  authority.  At  this  point  they  set 
themselves  distinctly  against  the  fashions  of  their 
time.  ''Non-conformity"  was  their  shibboleth;  as 
it  is  written,  ''Be  not  conformed  unto  this  world,  but 
be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  minds  "; 
and  again,  "Come  out  from  among  them  and  be  ye 
separate,  saith  the  Lord";  and  again,  "He  gave 
himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all 
iniquity,  and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people 
zealous  of  good  works";  and  again,  "Ye  are  the 
light  of  the  world  ;  let  your  light  so  shine  before  men 
that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify 
God." 

In  all  this  the  Puritans  are  worthy  of  imitation.  Our 
religion  is  not  a  matter  of  sentiment,  but  of  principle. 
If  we  have  entered  into  God's  fellowship,  we  must 
needs  love  what  he  loves  and  hate  what  he  hates.  No 
man  can  be  a  true  Christian  who  fears  scrupulosity 
in  the  avoidance  of  sin. 

All  the  world  knows  how  the  French  people,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  refused  to 
hold  fellowship  with  their  foes.  I  stood  once  in  a 
rose-garden,  in  a  little  town  in  Brittany-by-the-Sea, 
and  heard  an  old  baroness, — whose  son,  a  general  in 
the  French  army,  had  recently  been  slain  in  battle, — 
relate  how  she  had  refused  to  accept  the  courtesies 
of  Von  Moltke  in  an  apartment  of  a  railway  car. 
Her  eyes  flashed,  her  bosom  heaved,  her  lips  trembled 
while    she   told   it.       ''But,   Madam,"   said   I,    "why 


232  A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM. 

could  you  not  accept  courtesy  even  from  your  foe  ?  " 
With  a  splendid  and  pathetic  dignity  she  said,  "Why, 
sir,  his  hands  were  red  with  the  blood  of  my  only 
son!  "  Would  that  we  might  manifest  some  of  that 
spirit  in  our  attitude  toward  sin!  God  hates  it. 
God  hates  it  with  an  utter  loathing  and  abhorrence. 
How  could  it  be  otherwise  ?  It  nailed  to  the  cross 
his  well-beloved  Son.  Our  abhorrence  of  sin  is  the 
sure  token  of  our  fellowship  with  him. 

III.  You  are  in  earnest;  you  think  it  means  some- 
thing to  be  a  follower  of  Christ;  you  are  constrained 
by  his  love;  the  thought  of  his  great  mercy  and  of 
the  sinfulness  of  rejecting  him  forbids  that  you  should 
hold  your  peace.  My  ir'iGnd,  ycm  are  a  fanatic /  All 
the  world  and  many  of  your  Christian  friends  will 
tell  you  so.  But  do  not  resent  it.  Stand  to  your 
guns.  It  is  a  glorious  thing  to  be  in  dead  earnest  for 
the  right. 

Why  is  it  that  earnestness  is  commended  in  every- 
thing else  but  religion  ?  There  was  Archimedes  the 
mathematician,  who,  when  the  enemy,  at  the  capture 
of  Syracuse,  rushed  in  upon  him  with  uplifted  sword, 
was  so  intent  upon  a  geometric  figure  drawn  upon 
the  floor  that  he  merely  said,  with  a  deprecating 
gesture,  "Wait  a  moment  !  just  a  moment,  until  I 
solve  this."  Such  concentration  of  purpose  is  admir- 
able in  any  cause.      Why  not,  then,  in  ours  ? 

(i.)  We  believe  there  is  a  real  danger.  All  have 
sinned.  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.  Hell  is 
an  awful  fact.  Our  Lord  coupled  it  with  the  figures 
of  the  unquenchable  fire  and  the  undying  worm. 
And  those  who  reject  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  are  rush- 
ing headlong  towards  it.      He   that  believeth  not  in 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  2^;^ 

Jesus  Christ,  shall  be  damned.  If  these  things  are 
so,  how  can  we  forbear  to  warn  those  who  are  in 
jeopardy  of  life  ?  If  a  man  passing  on  Fifth  Avenue 
were  to  see  flames  issuing  from  the  roof  of  this  sanc- 
tuary, he  would  rush  through  the  door  without  cer- 
emony, crying,  ''Fire!  Fire!"  Would  you  blame 
him?  Would  you  say,  "My  friend,  you  are  inter- 
rupting the  service  ? "  Nay,  you  would  praise  and 
thank  him  for  it. 

(2.)  We  believe  also  in  a  way  of  escape.  The  life- 
line is  thrown  out  from  Calvary.  It  is  the  one  plan 
of  salvation.  It  is  simple  and  effective.  It  is  offered 
on  the  sole  condition  of  faith.  "  He  that  believeth, 
shall  be  saved."  If  so,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  our  friends  shall  close  in  with  its  overtures.  A 
few  days  ago  one  of  our  great  steamships  came  into 
port  with  her  engines  disabled.  She  reported  that 
for  three  days  she  had  drifted  about  in  mid-ocean,  in 
great  peril,  and  that  her  signals  were  unheeded  by 
an  inbound  steamer  passing  by.  There  was  great 
indignation.  On  a  sudden,  however,  the  matter  was 
hushed  up;  the  reason  being  that  the  passing  steamer 
was  a  sister  ship  of  the  same  line.  There  can  be  but 
one  opinion  as  to  the  utter  turpitude  of  such  a 
course.  But  what  shall  be  said  of  Christian  people 
living  in  close  fellowship  with  those  whom  they  be- 
lieve to  be  in  danger  of  spiritual  and  eternal  death, 
members  even  of  their  own  households,  whom  yet 
they  warn  not  ? 

In  the  year  66,  Festus,  the  governor  at  Caesarea, 
was  visited  by  King  Agrippa  and  his  mistress,  Ber- 
nice.  For  their  entertainment  Paul  was  brought  out 
of  his  dungeon,  wearing  his  chains,  and  required  to 


234  A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM. 

display  his  eloquence.  He  did  so  with  tremendous 
effect.  He  told  the  simple  story  of  his  conversion  on 
the  Damascus  highway,  of  the  sunburst  that  changed 
the  whole  tenor  of  his  life,  of  the  voice  saying,  "  I  am 
Jesus,"  of  his  blindness  and  the  subsequent  revelation 
of  truth.  And  as  he  thus  spoke,  Festus  said  with  a 
loud  voice,  "Paul  thou  art  beside  thyself;  much 
learning  doth  make  thee  mad!"  He  answered,  "I 
am  not  mad,  most  noble  Festus,  but  speak  forth  the 
words  of  truth  and  soberness.  "  Mad  ?  O,  would  to 
God  there  were  more  fanatics  like  Paul!  The  truths 
we  profess  are  so  solemn,  the  issues  involved  are  so 
stupendous,  that  it  seems  as  if,  should  we  keep 
silence,  the  very  stones  must  cry  out. 

Just  forty  years  ago  a  man  arose  in  our  Fulton 
Street  prayer  meeting,  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
assemblage  of  business  men,  and  read  these  words, 
which  he  had  written  during  the  previous  night: — 

"  Where'er  we  meet,  you  always  say, 
What's  the  news?  what's  the  news? 
I       Pray  what's  the  order  of  the  day  ? 
I  What's  the  news  ?   what's  the  news  ? 

Oh  !    I  have  got  good  news  to  tell  ; 
My  Saviour  hath  done  all  things  well. 
And  triumphed  over  death  and  hell, 
That's  the  news  !    that's  the  news  ! 

"  The  Lord  has  pardoned  all  my  sin — 
That's  the  news  !    that's  the  news  ! 

I  feel  the  witness  now  within — 
That's  the  news  !    that's  the  news  ! 

And  since  He  took  my  sins  away, 

And  taught  me  how  to  watch  and  pray, 

I'm  happy  now  from  day  to  day — 
That's  the  news  !    that's  the  news  !  " 


A    PLEA    FOR    FANATICISM.  235 

At  this  moment  we  are  all  profoundly  interested  in 
"the  news."  Our  hearts  are  moved  by  rumors  of 
approaching  war;  we  can  scarcely  wait  for  the  issues 
of  the  daily  press.  But  to  one  who  has  really  and 
adequately  grasped  the  great  verities  of  our  religion, 
is  there  any  current  event  to  be  compared  with  the 
tragedy  on  Golgotha  ?  or  any  happening  that  can  so 
profoundly  concern  him  as  this  revelation  of  God's 
mercy  to  his  own  soul  ? 

A  wave  of  patriotism  sweeps  over  our  country 
which  has  obliterated  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  and 
united  all  our  people  in  devotion  to  the  Republic. 
The  unfurling  of  the  starry  flag  in  any  public  place 
of  assemblage  is  the  signal  for  an  immediate  outburst 
of  enthusiasm.  Why  not  ?  Is  there  any  national 
emblem  that  can  compare  with  it  ? 

"  When  Freedom  from  her  mountain  height 
Unfurled  her  banner  to  the  air, 
She  tore  the  azure  robe  of  night 
And  set  the  stars  of  glory  there  !" 

Ah,  yes,  friends,  there  is  a  standard  dearer  to  our 
hearts  than  *'01d  Glory."  We  are  enlisted  under 
the  red  banner  of  the  cross.  It  stands  to  us  for  truth 
and  righteousness,  for  mercy  and  eternal  life.  If  we 
love  Christ,  let  us  be  loyal  to  it.  Let  not  Sanballat 
and  Tobiah  laugh  us  out  of  our  convictions.  Let  us 
not  be  ashamed  of  the  Gospel,  for  it  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth. 
Let  us  be  true.  Let  us  be  in  dead  earnest.  Let  us 
be  loyal  to  Christ! 


THE  WITHERED  HAND. 

"And  he  entered  into  the  synagogue  ;  and  there  was  a  man  there  which 
had  a  withered  hand.  And  they  watched  him,  whether  he  would  heal  him  on 
the  Sabbath  day ;  that  they  might  accuse  him.  And  he  saith  unto  the  man 
which  had  the  withered  hand,  Stand  forth.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Is  it  lawful 
to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  days,  or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,  or  to  kill  ?  But  they 
held  their  peace.  And  when  he  had  looked  round  about  on  them  with  anger, 
being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  he  saith  unto  the  man,  Stretch 
forth  thine  hand.  And  he  stretched  it  out :  and  his  hand  was  restored  whole 
as  the  other."— Mark  3,  1-6. 

The  second  year  of  our  Lord's  ministry  was  draw- 
ing to  a  close.  The  clouds  were  gathering  dark 
about  him.  There  was  a  widespread  interest  in  his 
preaching;  as  it  is  written,  "the  common  people 
heard  him  gladly."  But  the  rulers  were  against 
him  ;  and  not  without  reason. 

To  begin  with,  he  utterly  failed  to  meet  their  cher- 
ished views  of  the  Messiah.  They  expected  him  to 
come  in  royal  state,  but  Jesus  was  the  son  of  a  car- 
penter; '*a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground;  he  had  no  form 
nor  comeliness  that  they  should  desire  him."  An- 
other reason  for  their  opposition  was  his  denunciation 
of  their  darling  sins;  for,  in  spite  of  their  ceremonial 
sanctity,  they  were  given  to  usury,  uncleanness  and 
a  general  disregard  of  the  true  spirit  of  the  Moral 
Law.  He  found  them  parading  before  the  people  in 
broad  phylacteries  and  with  scriptural  frontlets  be- 
tween their  eyes  ;  he  cried,  "Woe  unto  you,  mask- 

(236) 


THE    WITHERED    HAND.  237 

wearers  !  Ye  are  as  whited  sepulchres;  fair  without, 
but  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones  and  all  unclean- 
ness.  "^Little  wonder  that  they  opposed  him  !  More- 
over, he  was  "the  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners." 
This  was  a  notorious  charge ;  and — the  more  shame — 
he  apparently  gloried  in  it.  He  said,  *'  They  that  be 
whole  need  not  a  physician  ;  I  am  come  to  seek  and 
to  save  the  lost."  The  words  with  which  he  closed 
the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  cut  to  the  quick, — 
''  For  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  more  joy  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  re- 
penteth,  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons  that 
need  no  repentance."  A  still  further  offense  was  his 
claim  of  Godhood.  He  said,  "  I  and  my  Father  are 
one;  "  and  again,  "  He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen 
the  Father";  so,  repeatedly,  making  himself  equal 
with  God.  He  claimed  to  forgive  sin,  which  was 
plain  blasphemy;  as  the  Pharisees  said,  "Who  but 
God  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sin  ? " 

But  the  crowning  offense  of  Jesus  in  their  eyes  was 
his  contemptuous  disregard  of  their  Toldoth,  or  Sab- 
bath prescripts.  The  Sabbath  was  their  fetish.  They 
had  made  it  a  weariness  to  the  people  by  adding  a 
vast  number  of  burdensome  requirements.  It  was 
unlawful  to  walk  upon  the  greensward  on  the  Sab- 
bath, lest,  the  grass  being  in  seed,  the  act  should  be 
construed  as  threshing.  A  radish  must  not  be  left  in 
the  salt,  lest  it  should  prove  to  be  pickling  on  the 
Holy  Day.  A  man  must  not  feed  his  poultry  more 
than  was  absolutely  necessary,  lest  the  remainder  of 
the  grain  should  germinate,  and  he  might  be  justly 
charged  with  sowing.  The  Lord  Jesus  had  no  pa- 
tience with  these  Toldoth  j  he  said  to  the  Pharisees, 


238  THE    WITHERED    HAND. 

*'  Ye  have  made  the  law  to  be  of  none  effect  by  your 
vain  traditions  ";  and  again,  "  Ye  lade  men  with  bur- 
dens grievous  to  be  borne." 

On  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath  of  our  context  he 
had  permitted  his  disciples,  as  they  were  passing 
through  the  fields,  to  pluck  the  ears  of  grain  and 
rub  them  in  their  hands.  They  were  called  to  an 
account  for  this  as  a  specific  violation  of  the  Sabbath 
law.  He  vindicated  them  in  a  brief  reply,  concluding 
with  the  words,  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man, 
and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath;  wherefore,  the  Son  of 
Man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath." 

It  was  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  when  he 
entered  into  the  synagogue;  a  great  company  was 
assembled ;  and  there  was  a  man  there  with  a  with- 
ered hand.  The  enemies  of  Jesus  watched  him — 
for,  knowing  his  humanity,  they  expected  him  to  heal 
this  man,  despite  their  traditional  prohibition.  He 
perceived  what  was  in  their  hearts  and  said  indig- 
nantly, "Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  days, 
or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,  or  to  plot  murder  as  ye  are 
doing  now  ?  "  And  they  held  their  peace;  for  what 
could  they  say  ?  He  looked  round  on  them  with 
indignation,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their 
hearts;  and  then  he  healed  the  man. 

What  is  the  lesson  ?  For,  let  it  be  understood,  the 
miracles  are  not  mere  singular  acts  of  healing;  they 
are  acted  parables,  for  the  setting  forth  of  spiritual 
truth.  We  know  what  Jesus  meant  when  he  fed  the 
five  thousand:  "I  am  the  living  bread  which  came 
down  from  heaven,  of  which  if  a  man  eat  he  shall 
never  hunger."  We  know  what  he  meant  when  he 
wiped  away  the  leper's  spots:   "Come  now,  let  us 


THE    WITHERED    HAND.  239 

reason  together;  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they 
shall  be  white  as  snow;  and  though  they  be  red 
like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  We  know  what 
he  meant  by  the  raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead: 
''  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life;  he  that  believeth 
in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live;  and 
whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die. 
But  what  is  the  meaning  here  ? 

(i)  This  miracle  teaches,  at  the  outset,  the  compas- 
sion of  Jesus.  The  man  who  had  the  withered  hand 
is  said,  in  one  of  the  Apocryphal  gospels,  to  have 
been  a  stone-mason,  with  a  wife  and  children  depend- 
ent upon  him.  It  was  a  case  indeed  to  move  a  com- 
passionate heart.  Our  Lord  pities  all  the  distressed. 
If  the  roofs  of  our  city  were  to  be  lifted,  we  should 
hide  our  eyes  at  the  pitiful  sight.  O,  the  pain  and 
sorrow!  The  multitudes  who  toss  on  beds  of  lan- 
guishing ;  the  shame,  the  despair,  the  breaking 
hearts!  But  the  roofs  are  lifted  before  him;  and  he 
sees  and  pities  all. 

(2)  It  teaches,  also,  the  true  spirit  of  Sabbath  observ- 
ance. There  are  foolish  people  who  hold  that  Jesus 
swept  away  the  sanctions  of  the  Fourth  Command- 
ment.      How  grievously  they  misunderstand  him ! 

Let  us  hear  a  parable  of  the  Lord  of  the  Castle. 
He  went  his  way  and  sojourned  for  a  season  in  a  f.ir 
country.  On  his  return  he  found  a  fantastic  group 
of  harlequins  in  possession  of  his  mansion.  They 
had  set  up  their  implements  of  jugglery  in  its  cham- 
bers, and  hung  their  fantastic  banners  on  its  outer 
walls,  ^hey  had  permitted  thorns  and  thistles  to 
grow  along  its  garden  paths,  and  had  collected  heaps 
of  rubbish  in  its  gates.      He  was  filled  with  indigna- 


240  THE    WITHERED    HAND. 

tion,  and  cried,  "Away  with  these  implements  of 
your  magic!  Tear  down  yon  banners!  Clear  out 
the  garden  paths,  and  remove  the  foul  debris  from 
the  gates!  "  Was  this  destruction  ?  Nay,  it  was  res- 
toration. So  did  our  Lord  cry  out  against  the  Tol- 
doth^  the  "vain  traditions"  of  the  elders,  because 
they  had  made  the  Sabbath  a  burden  and  weariness 
to  the  people.  As  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  he  claimed 
the  right  to  restore  the  sanctions  of  the  original 
law. 

(3)  But  there  is  another  lesson  here,  which  I  desire 
to  emphasize  particularly,  as  to  our  relation  to  great 
spiritual  truths.  The  Lord  spoke  twice  to  the  man 
with  the  withered  hand,  and  both  words  were  unnec- 
essary to  the  work  of  healing:  "Stand  forth,"  and 
"Stretch  forth  thy  hand."  Both  were  intended  to 
stimulate  the  man  to  self-exertion.  Our  Master's 
teaching  on  this,  as  on  other  occasions,  was  like  the 
blast  of  a  pibroch  in  the  Scottish  hills  above  a  sleep- 
ing village.  We  are  all  too  dull  and  apathetic;  he 
comes  to  aw^aken,  to  invigorate  and  stimulate  us. 

I.  ''Sta?idforthj"  literally,  "  Forth  into  the  midst!  " 
This  meant  publicity.  The  man  was  here  subjected 
to  a  trying  ordeal;  for  chronic  sufferers  are  usually 
diffident.  Nevertheless,  the  Master  did  not  spare 
him.  "  Forth  into  the  midst!"  It  suggests  that  the 
religion  of  Jesus  is  not  for  the  cloister.  God's  reme- 
dies are  sunlight  and  mountain  air.  The  Christian 
is  not  called  to  be  a  silent  cenobite,  but  above  all  a 
man  among  men. 

{a)  He  who  seeks  salvation  is  required  at  the  outset 
to  make  a  frank  acknowledgment  of  sin  and  an  open 
confession  of  his  belief  that  Christ  can  save  him;  for 


THE    WITHERED    HAND,  24I 

'Svith  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness 
and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salva- 
tion. "  Is  this  unreasonable  ?  Christ  in  our  behalf  was 
nailed  upon  a  tree,  the  tree  was  raised  upon  a  hill, 
the  hill  overlooked  the  city;  so  that  he  was  made  a 
gazing-stock  before  all. 

''Jesus,  and  shall  it  ever  be, 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  thee  ? 
Ashamed  of  Jesus?  yes,  I  may. 
When  I've  no  guilt  to  wash  away, 
No  tear  to  wipe,  no  good  to  crave, 
No  fears  to  quell,  no  soul  to  save. 
Till  then — nor  is  my  boasting  vain — 
Till  then  I  boast  a  Saviour  slain  ; 
And  O,  may  this  my  glory  be, 
That  Christ  is  not  ashamed  of  me." 

(If)  So  in  the  building  of  character.  As  Christians 
we  are  eager  to  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  There  is  noth- 
ing nobler  than  this  aspiration  ;  yet,  to  our  shame  be 
it  said,  we  are  oftentimes  loath  to  acknowledge  it. 
You  have  seen  young  artists  in  the  gallery  of  the 
Louvre,  seated  before  such  masterpieces  as  "  Ecce 
Homo,"  or  "The  Immaculate  Conception,"  labori- 
ously copying  every  line.  Did  they  blush  to  have  it 
known  that  they  were  trying  to  catch  the  spirit  of  the 
illustrious  masters  ?  Why  should  we  be  reluctant 
to  show  our  earnestness  in  the  imitation  of  Christ  ? 
There  is  nothing  better  than  character,  and  the  sum- 
mit of  character  is  Christ-likeness. 

"  Howe'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me, 
Tis  only  noble  to  be  good." 

(c)  And  furthermore,  in  Christian  service.    We  are 


242  THE    WITHERED    HAND. 

too  fearful  of  being  thought  over-zealous  or  fanatical. 
We  have  much  to  say  of  modest  service  and  of  quiet 
ministry.  We  lay  great  emphasis  on  the  Master's 
words,  *'And  thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into 
thy  closet  and  shut  to  the  door;  "  and,  "  When  thou 
doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right 
hand  doeth."  There  is  indeed  a  time  to  go  alone 
into  the  trysting-place  and  to  hide  our  beneficence 
from  human  eyes;  but  there  is  also  a  time  to  brave 
publicity  in  doing  good.  Remember  the  word  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  how  he  said:  "Let  your  light  so  shine 
before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and 
glorify  God." 

At  the  battle  of  Cassova  the  impetuous  Bajazet, 
seeing  a  circle  of  baggage-wagons  and  kneeling 
camels  arranged  as  a  breastwork,  cried  out,  "Have 
the  sons  of  Othman  ever  feared  to  meet  their  enemies 
face  to  face  ?  Shall  we,  who  have  conquered  Asia, 
shelter  ourselves  behind  our  camels  ?  Are  such  arti- 
fices worthy  of  a  divine  cause  ? "  It  is  proper  to 
inquire  if  much  of  our  assumption  of  modesty  is  not 
a  mere  subterfuge  of  cowardice.  How  else  shall  we 
account  for  the  multitude  of  professed  Christians  who 
stand  idle  in  the  market-place  while  the  fields  are 
yellow  for  the  sickle  ?  Is  it  more  reprehensible  to  be 
a  zealot  than  a  good-for-naught  ?  Let  us  prove  our 
sincerity  and  earnestness  by  working  in  the  open. 
Forth  into  the  midst,  O  disciples  of  Christ! 

II.  ''^Sti-etch  forth  thy  hand.''  It  need  scarcely  be 
said  that  Jesus  could  have  accomplished  his  purpose 
without  requiring  any  personal  effort  on  the  part  of 
this  man.  Not  only  so,  but  the  thing  which  he 
demanded  was  impossible  ;    for    the  word   rendered 


THE    WITHERED    HAND.  243 

**hand"  is  comprehensive  and  includes  the  entire 
arm.  The  man  might  have  answered,  ''Good  Rabbi, 
how  canst  thou  say,  'Stretch  forth  thy  hand? '  Dost 
thou  know  paralysis?  Every  nerve  and  tendon  here 
is  atrophied.  In  vain  have  I  sought  to  move  my 
arm.  If  I  lift  it  with  my  left  hand,  thus,  behold,  it 
falls  again  as  if  it  were  dead.  'Stretch  it  forth!' 
Nay,  Rabbi,  that  were  impossible;  surely  thou  mock- 
est  me."  Nevertheless,  it  is  written,  "He  stretched 
it  forth."  How  could  that  be  ?  "  God  helps  those  who 
help  themselves."  He  makes  no  unjust  exaction. 
He  ever  gives  power  with  the  effort  to  obey  him. 

Sin  is  paralysis.  Mind,  conscience,  heart, — the 
whole  moral  nature  is  atrophied. 

"  Our  weakness  in  this  emblem,  we. 
Our  total  inability 
Of  doing  good,  may  find." 

Nevertheless  we  are  required  to  use  mind,  con- 
science and  heart  in  holy  endeavor;  and  God  enables 
us  to  do  this.  Here  is  the  token  of  his  wise  good- 
ness: that  he  makes  us,  by  an  infinite  condescension, 
co-laborers  with  himself  in  our  restoration  and  up- 
building. We  dwarf  our  children,  in  mistaken  kind- 
ness, by  doing  everything  for  them.  God  stimulates 
us  by  this  word,  "Do  for  yourself,  and  I  will  work 
with  you.'' 

(a)  At  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  life  we  are 
required  to  believe.  This  is  the  condition  of  life. 
Let  us  say  that  God  could  deliver  us  without  any 
effort  of  our  own ;  he  does  not  deliver  us  in  that  way. 
No  truth  of  Scripture  is  clearer  than  that  he  has 
affixed   the  condition  of  personal  faith  to  the  gift  of 


244  THE    WITHERED    HAND. 

eternal  life.  We  must  stretch  forth  our  hand  to 
accept  the  gift,  else  we  shall  not  receive  it.  God 
might  have  healed  the  serpent-bitten  Israelites  with  a 
gracious  word;  he  did  indeed,  but  that  word  was  a 
call  to  effort,  "Look  and  live!"  Our  Lord  was 
pleased  to  use  this  as  a  silhouette  of  the  plan  of  sal- 
vation: "For  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the 
wilderness,  so  also  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up; 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish 
but  have  eternal  life." 

{b)  And  again,  in  character-building.  God  could 
doubtless  create  a  perfect  saint  in  the  moment  of 
conversion,  were  he  so  disposed;  as  Minerva  is 
said  to  have  sprung  full-armed  and  panoplied  from 
the  forehead  of  Jove.  But,  instead,  he  is  pleased  to 
call  us  into  a  splendid  fellowship  with  himself  in  the 
working  out  of  character.  We  are  adjured  to  "work 
out  our  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  be- 
cause it  is  God  that  worketh  in  us."  It  is  precisely 
as  when  a  father  sets  up  his  son  in  business.  He 
buys  a  stock  of  goods  and  says,  "Now,  my  son,  I 
have  given  you  a  start;  work  this  out,  until  you  shall 
make  a  competence  or  a  fortune  for  yourself.  Mean- 
while, I  will  stand  by  you;  should  you  be  involved 
in  difficulty,  call  on  me."  Our  conversion  is  merely 
a  start  in  the  great  business  of  life.  God  says  to  us 
then,  "Work  out  your  salvation  to  the  very  utter- 
most." For  salvation  is  more  than  a  mere  deliver- 
ance from  the  penalty  of  death ;  it  comprehends  all 
the  graces  of  character  and  all  the  vast  possibilities 
of  usefulness.  In  the  attainment  of  these  we  are 
assured  that  God  will  co-operate  with  us.  How 
kind,   how  gracious,  how   conducive   to   the   highest 


THE    WITHERED    HAND.  245 

development  of  our  own  powers,  is  this  condescen- 
sion on  our  Father's  part  !  How  it  exalts  our  man- 
hood to  be  thus  assured  that  we  are  "laborers 
together  with  God!" 

(c)  And,  still  further,  in  Christian  service.  The 
same  God  who  caused  light  to  shine  in  chaos,  might, 
no  doubt,  at  any  moment  illuminate  our  sin-stricken 
world  by  a  similar  fiat,  "Let  there  be  light!"  But  in- 
stead, he  has  wisely  chosen  to  use  us  in  the  work  of 
his  kingdom;  that  is,  in  the  restitution  of  all  things. 
Our  Lord  said  to  his  disciples,  "As  the  Father  hath 
sent  me  into  the  world,  so  send  I  you."  And  after  his 
crucifixion  he  returned  and  said  again,  "All  power  is 
given  to  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth ;  go  ye,  therefore, 
and  declare  the  evangel."  Oh,  the  riches  of  the 
wisdom  and  grace  of  God  !  Blessed  be  his  name, 
that  he  thus  dignifies  our  humanity  in  calling  us  into 
copartnership  with  himself.  The  world  waits  for  us 
to  appreciate  and  grasp  the  high  honor.  The  world 
lieth  in  darkness,  groaning  and  travailing,  until  we 
shall  apprehend  not  the  duty  merely,  nor  the  grave 
responsibility,  but  the  sublime  privilege  of  joining 
with  God  in  restoring  the  nations  to  truth  and  right- 
eousness, and  in  bringing  in  the  Golden  Age. 

Let  us  be  grateful  to-day,  if  the  words  of  our 
Master  have  stirred  any  compunctions  within  us.  For 
pain  is  the  antithesis  of  palsy.  Did  you  ever  awake 
in  the  middle  of  the  night  to  find  that  your  arm  was 
asleep  ?  You  were  alarmed ;  because  you  knew  that 
men  are  sometimes  stricken  with  palsy  in  the  night. 
You  rubbed  your  arm  briskly  until  you  felt  a  tingling ; 
and  then  you  knew  that  all  was  well,  "Woe  to  them 
that  are  at  ease  in  Zion. "  Blessed  is  the  man  who  feels 


246  THE    WITHERED    HAND. 

his  infirmity,  and  deeply  longs  for  a  better  and  nobler 
life. 

Finally,  let  our  awakened  energies  be  newly  con- 
secrated to  Christ.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  when  this 
man  of  Capernaum  went  out  of  the  synagogue  he 
never  again  thought  of  his  restored  hand  in  the  same 
way.  It  was  thenceforth  Christ's  hand.  It  grasped 
the  trowel  to  do  honest  work  for  the  Master  who  had 
healed  it.  It  ministered  to  the  poor,  for  Jesus'  sake. 
We  profess  to  be  Christians;  we  are  sinners  saved  by 
grace.  We  are  healed  of  impotence,  body  and  soul, 
hands  and  feet,  by  the  power  of  Christ.  What  shall 
we  say,  then  ?  Let  us  glorify  God  with  our  bodies 
and  spirits,  which  are  his.  "  Take  my  life  and  let  it 
be  consecrated.  Lord,  to  thee  !  " 


THE  BEACON  ON  BETH- HACCEREM. 

"  O  ye  children  of  Benjamin,  gather  yourselves  to  flee  out  of  the  midst  of 
Jerusalem,  and  blow  the  trumpet  in  Tekoa,  and  set  up  a  sign  of  tire  in  Beth 
haccerem:  for  evil  appeareth  out  of  the  north,  and  great  destruction."— J  ere 
miah  6,  i. 

To  Jeremiah  was  assigned  the  unpleasant  duty  of 
bewailing  the  sins  of  the  nation  and  giving  notice  of 
coming  retribution.  "  O  that  my  head  were  waters," 
he  cried,  "and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I 
might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  my  people  !  "  It  was  a  time  of  apparent  pros- 
perity. The  religious  leaders  were  much  devoted  to 
the  superficial  forms  of  the  ceremonial  law  ;  they 
complacently  said,  "The  temple  of  the  Lord,  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  are  we  !  "  But  the  prophet  must 
needs  utter  his  note  of  warning.  He  represents  Is- 
rael as  "a  comely  and  delicate  woman,"  adorning  her- 
self, simpering,  posing  for  adulation  ;  while  her 
priests  and  princes,  like  lovers,  congratulate  her,  say- 
ing, "Peace,  peace."  Meanwhile,  the  Chaldean 
army  appears  in  the  prophet's  vision,  sweeping 
downward  along  the  northern  roads,  its  banners  wav- 
ing, its  horses  like  eagles.  They  come  to  kill  and 
spoil  as  a  grape-gatherer  enters  his  vineyard,  basket 
in  hand.  And  alas  !  Israel  heeds  it  not  !  The  sound 
of  the  trumpet  is  now  heard  on  the  summit  of  Tekoa. 

(247) 


248  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

On  high  Beth-haccerem  the  signal-fire  streams  up- 
ward into  the  night.  *'  Peace  ?  "  cries  the  prophet  ; 
''there  is  no  peace,  but  war  ;  dark,  bitter,  bloody, 
relentless  war  !  " 

The  people  of  America  are  apparently  on  the  verge 
of  portentous  events.  The  sky  is  red  and  lowering. 
It  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  observe  the  signs  of  the 
times.  Let  us  stand  for  a  while  under  Beth-haccerem 
and,  in  the  light  of  that  flaming  beacon,  meditate  on 
War. 

I.   //  is  an  awful  Fact.      Milton  says: 

"...     Black  it  stood  as  night, 
Fierce  as  ten  furies,  terrible  as  hell, 
And  shook  a  dreadful  dart." 

On  a  May  morning  in  1879  General  Skobeleff  visited 
the  battlefield  of  Shipka  Pass.  A  year  had  passed 
since  the  close  of  the  Turco-Russian  war.  He  paused 
and  uncovered  at  a  wooden  cross,  marking  the  grave  of 
a  heroic  standard-bearer.  Then  he  silently  surveyed 
the  field.  The  snow  was  melting;  the  shallow  graves 
had  been  uncovered  by  the  sweeping  winds  of  winter, 
and  dogs  and  wolves  had  wrought  grim  havoc.  Here 
and  there  were  torn  uniforms  and  human  bones.  He 
said  to  his  aide-de-camp,  "  See  how  these  skulls  are 
grinning  at  us."     Then,  after  a  pause,  he  added: 

"  The  drying-up  a  single  tear  has  more 

Of  honest  fame  than  shedding  seas  of  gore." 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  said,  "There  is  only  one 
thing  in  the  world  more  melancholy  than  a  battle 
lost  ;  that  is,  a  battle  won,"  And  a  greater  than 
Wellington — whose  fame  is  destined  to  grow  brighter 
with  advancing  time — at  the  close  of  a  military  career 


THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM.  249 

marked  by  singular  success,  left  this  word  as  his  best 
heritage  to  prosperity,  "Let  us  have  peace  !  " 

II.  If  the  History  of  War  could  be  adequately  writ- 
ten, what  a  red  chronicle  it  would  be  ! 

(i)  It  came  in  with  sin.  The  first  proclamation  of 
war  was  also  the  first  prophecy  of  ultimate  peace.  It 
was  the  protevangel ;  in  which  God  said  to  the  ser- 
pent, "  /  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman^  and 
between  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and 
thou  shall  bruise  his  heel.''  The  author  of  this  procla- 
mation was  God  Almighty;  but  the  instigator  of  war 
is  the  Prince  of  Darkness.  It  is  his  flaming  torch; 
it  is  his  dripping  sword.  God  is  the  Author  and 
Promoter  of  Peace;  but  God's  peace  is  only  to  be 
accomplished  by  the  overthrow  of  Satan  and  the 
extirpation  of  sin. 

(2)  War  has  been  as  constant  as  the  succession  of 
time.  I  see  the  form  of  a  man  passing  out  of  the 
primeval  shadows,  wielding  a  bludgeon  stained  with 
gore.  It  is  Cain;  the  red  mark  on  his  forehead;  his 
hand  against  every  man. — I  see  the  enemies  of  truth 
and  righteousness  falling  in  behind  him  and  march- 
ing down  the  ages. — I  hear  the  clash  of  arms  in  the 
vale  of  Siddim  where  Abraham,  the  father  of  the 
faithful,  has  gone  out  against  the  kings  of  Canaan 
for  the  rescue  of  his  kinsman. — I  hear  the  battle-song 
of  Miriam  and  her  daughters  beside  the  sea:  "  Who 
is  like  unto  our  God,  glorious  in  holiness,  fearful  in 
praises,  doing  wonders  !  " — I  see  the  hosts  of  Israel 
arrayed  against  Og  of  Bashan  and  Sihon  of  the 
Amorites,  contending  for  their  homes,  wives  and 
children,  life  and  freedom.  —  In  quick  succession 
come   the  judges,  Othniel,  Ehud,  Shamgar  with  his 


250  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

ox-goad,  Barak  with  Deborah  raising  the  anthem, 
"  The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera  !  " 
Gideon  andjephthah;  and  Samson  lifting  his  rude 
battle-song,  "  Heaps  upon  heaps,  masses  on  masses, 
a  thousand  men!"  —  Then  the  procession  of  the 
kings:  Saul  casting  away  his  dishonored  shield  on 
the  heights  of  Gilboa;  David  lamenting,  as  countless 
parents  have  bewailed  their  slain  in  succeeding  ages, 
*' O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son!  would  God  that  I 
had  died  for  thee  !  " — Now  Israel  marches  against 
her  barbaric  foes ;  again  the  tribes  are  arrayed  against 
each  other;  but  always  war,  war,  war,  until  at  length 
it  rages  fiercely  at  the  very  gates  of  doomed  Jerusa- 
lem!— Then  long  processions  of  captives  are  led  in 
chains  toward  the  East,  where,  hanging  their  harps 
on  the  willows,  they  weep  when  they  remember  Zion. 
The  Old  Economy  closes  thus  amid  the  clang  of 
weapons  and  rattle  of  chains.  Its  glories  fade  into 
the  twilight  of  the  exile,  and  then  into  deep  darkness, 
as  of  an  Egyptian  night. 

But  now  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arises  with  heal- 
ing in  his  wings.  Surely  war  will  cease  forever  at 
the  coming  of  the  Christ.  For  is  not  his  name 
Shiloh,  "Prince  of  Peace"?  Was  ever  a  sweeter 
birth-song  than  this:  *' Glory  to  God  in  the  highest; 
on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men"?  Was  ever 
a  more  irenic  proclamation  than  his  Golden  Rule? 
Was  ever  a  more  pronounced  "peace  policy"  than 
that  which  he  marked  out  for  his  Church  on  the 
last  night  of  his  earthly  life,  "  Put  up  thy  sword  into 
the  sheath  ;  for  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish 
by  it"  ? 

But  the  coming  of  Christ   by  no  means  meant  an 


THE  BEACON  ON  BET H-H ACCEREM.         25  I 

immediate  cessation  of  war.  That  was  indeed  its 
ultimate  purpose;  but  the  thing  which  he  instantly 
did  was  to  rend  the  Theocracy  asunder.  Up  to  this 
time  the  union  of  Church  and  State  had  been  perfect 
and  absolute  in  the  Theocracy;  now  they  were  sepa- 
rated. Jesus  said,  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world."  Henceforth  Church  and  State  were  intended 
to  go  down  through  history  in  parallel  lines,  each  as 
a  divinely  ordained  power  doing  its  own  appointed 
work  in  its  own  appointed  way.  The  Church  was 
commissioned  to  evangelize  the  nations,  using  no 
weapon  but  "the  sword  of  the  Spirit  which  is  the 
Word  of  God."  The  State,  however,  was  still  bur- 
dened with  the  responsibility  of  carrying  on  the  great 
conflict  against  the  Prince  of  Darkness,  meeting  fire 
with  fire  on  the  high  places  of  the  field. 

"SYe  see  Nero,  accordingly,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  era,  unsheathing  his  sword  against  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ.  Constantine  goes  out  under  the 
red-cross  banner  against  Maxentius,  the  herdsman 
emperor.  Kings  and  dynasties  rise  and  fall;  but  the 
struggle  goes  on.  It  is  still  war,  war  unceasing. 
There  is  an  inevitable  and  irrepressible  antagonism 
between  truth  and  error,  light  and  darkness,  civiliza- 
tion and  barbarism.     When  shall  the  end  be  ? 

(3)  The  end  can  only  come  with  the  overthrow  of 
sin.  No  makeshifts  or  subterfuges  can  avail.  When 
arbitration  has  done  its  best,  there  are  still  questions 
which  can  only  be  submitted  to  the  grim  tribunal  that 
meets  on  the  embattled  field.  No  temporary  arrange- 
ment can  extirpate  a  deep-rooted  evil.  Lincoln  said 
truly,  "  Nothing  is  settled  until  it  is  settled  right." 
Right  and  wrong  cannot  be  compromised.    No  earthly 


252  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

court  can  intervene  between  Jehovah  and  the  Prince 
of  Darkness.  No  earthly  government  can  heal  the 
rupture  between  tyranny  and  oppressed  humanity 
with  an  armistice.  Let  the  issue  be  joined  :  and  God 
defend  the  right! 

In  an  old-time  fable  it  is  related  that  a  wolf  came 
to  the  flock  saying,  "Why  need  there  be  enmity  be- 
tween us?  The  trouble  is  with  those  wicked  dogs.  If 
you  will  but  muzzle  the  dogs,  all  will  be  well."  The 
dogs  were  muzzled;  and,  lo,  the  sheep  were  at  the 
mercy  of  the  wolf.  As  between  the  sheep  and  the 
wolf  a  truce,  however  fair-seeming,  is  always  danger- 
ous. It  is  the  business  of  Christian  governments  to 
defend  the  right,  to  champion  the  weak,  to  lay  siege 
to  the  strongholds  of  iniquity  and  batter  them  down; 
and  this  must  go  on  until  the  head  of  the  serpent  is 
mortally  bruised,  and  until  (to  use  the  figure  of  the 
Psalmist)  iniquity  is  shaken  out  of  the  earth  like 
crumbs  out  of  a  napkin. 

The  last  proclamation  of  war  will  summon  the  na- 
tions to  Armageddon.  The  Prince  of  Peace,  in  gar- 
ments stained  with  blood,  will  lead  his  white-clad 
cohorts  to  the  field.  The  world  will  tremble  beneath 
the  clash  of  arms.  Amid  tlie  rattle  of  chains,  the  Red 
Dragon  will  be  hurled  into  the  bottomless  pit.  Then 
earth  and  heaven  will  join  in  the  shout,  "Babylon 
the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen!"  and  the  reign  of 
"peace  with  honor"  will  begin  upon  the  earth. 

III.  As  to  the  Ethics  of  War.  It  will  probably  not 
be  questioned  that  most  of  the  bloodshed  in  history 
has  been  for  insufficient  cause.  In  Southey's  poem 
on  "  The  Battle  of  Blenheim,"  a  scarred  veteran  tells 
the  story  to  a  wondering  lad  : 


THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM.  253 

*'  '  And  everybody  praised  the  Duke 
Who  that  great  fight  did  win." 

*  But  what  good  came  of  it  at  last? 
Quoth  little  Peterkin. 

'Why,  that  I  cannot  tell,'  said  he, 

'  But  'twas  a  famous  victory.'  " 

//  is  never  justifiable  to  make  war  for  selfish  ends.  The 
duello  for  the  vindication  of  honor  is  as  questionable 
in  governmental  as  in  personal  affairs.  The  real  dig- 
nity of  men  and  nations  can  stand  much  hammering. 
To  fight  for  the  avenging  of  a  real  or  fancied  affront 
is  usually  to  pay  "too  dear  for  one's  whistle."  The 
wars  that  have  been  waged  for  personal  glory  are  an 
ineffaceable  blot  on  the  history  of  our  race.  In  the 
Wierts  gallery  at  Brussels  there  is  a  picture  called 
"The  Welcome  of  Napoleon  to  Hell."  As  the  great 
commander  enters  the  gate  he  is  met  by  a  leering 
company  of  his  victims,  some  with  scarred  faces, 
others  with  handless  arms  ;  and  haggard  mothers 
holding  up  their  dead  infants  to  greet  the  author  of 
their  woes.  And  this  is  "  glory." — Nor  can  anything 
better  be  said  for  wars  of  conquest.  Was  it  wrong 
for  Ahab  to  seize  on  Naboth's  vineyard  as  an  annex 
to  the  royal  garden  ?  Then,  manifold  more,  is  it 
wrong  for  Russia  and  Germany  and  England  to 
hover  along  the  shores  of  China  awaiting  an  opportu- 
nity to  add  new  territory  to  their  vast  domains.  Is  it 
said,  by  way  of  counterpoise,  that  God  authorized 
the  conquest  of  Canaan  ?  There  never  was  such  a 
"conquest."  The  word  is  a  misnomer.  The  children 
of  Israel  went  up  from  Egypt  to  recover  a  land  which, 
by  virtue  of  previous  occupancy,  already  belonged  to 
them. 


254  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

//  is  right,  on  occasion,  to  wage  7uar  in  self-defense.  A 
man  who,  finding  a  burglar  or  ravisher  in  his  apart- 
ments at  night,  will  not  defend  himself  and  his  house- 
hold, is  something  less  than  human.  By  the  same 
token,  the  people  of  Leyden  were  justified  in  resist- 
ing the  Spanish  siege.  Let  them  hurl  down  stones 
upon  their  enemies!  Let  them  pour  blazing  pitch 
on  their  heads!  Self-defense  is  the  first  law  of  na- 
ture.     And  this  is  true  of  nations  as  of  men. 

//  is  right,  also,  to  make  war  for  principle.  The  Vau- 
dois,  the  Huguenots,  the  Beggars  of  Holland,  the 
Puritans,  are  justly  honor-ed  for  adventuring  all  in 
defense  of  great  verities  which  were  dearer  than  life. 
In  our  single  century  of  American  history  we  have 
had  two  magnificent  wars.  One  of  them  was  pro- 
voked by  an  unjust  stamp  law.  Shall  the  sword  then 
be  drawn  to  resist  a  mere  tax  upon  tea?  Aye;  for 
over  against  that  small  imposition  is  the  manifesto, 
"No  taxation  without  representation";  and  within 
that  manifesto  is  the  living  germ  of  civil  and  ecclesi- 
astical freedom.  Our  other  war  was  for  the  over- 
throw of  slavery.  A  million  men  were  slain ;  a  thou- 
sand millions  of  money  were  sunk  in  an  ocean  of 
blood.  But  it  was  a  splendid  investment.  It  was  in 
direct  pursuance  of  the  mission  of  Christ  himself, 
who  came  to  break  all  chains  and  bid  the  oppressed 
go  free. 

Noblest  of  all  is  the  war  for  hi{7na7iity.  It  asks  no 
vindication.  Men  and  nations  are  at  their  best  when 
striving  for  the  defense  of  the  weak  and  helpless. 
When  Moses  had  smitten  an  Egyptian  in  sudden  an- 
ger, God  suffered  him  to  be  driven  away  to  the  des- 
ert of  Midian.      But  forty  years  after,  the  Lord   met 


THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM.  255 

him  there  at  the  burning  bush  and  said,  ''The  time 
has  come.  The  cry  of  my  people  has  come  unto  mine 
ears.      Go,  deliver  them,  and  I  will  be  with  thee!  " 

At  this  moment  we  are  praying  for  divine  guidance 
in  our  relations  with  Spain.  The  sinking  of  a  man- 
of-war  though  done  with  malignant  intent,  is  an 
offense  that  might  possibly  better  be  overlooked  than 
avenged.  But  there  are  other  considerations  which 
go  deeper  far.  For  three  years  the  armies  of  Spain 
have  desolated  the  neighboring  island  of  Cuba.  We 
are  the  one  great  nation  of  the  Western  World,  and 
it  is  for  us  to  say  whether  or  no  this  shall  continue. 
We  cannot  evade  the  responsibility.  It  is  unthink- 
able that  God  should  desire  us,  a  Christian  people, 
to  speak  no  word,  to  lift  no  hand,  while  massacre, 
with  an  indescribable  accompaniment  of  famine  and 
pestilence,  goes  on  for  years  under  our  very  eyes. 

A  scene  of  dramatic  interest  was  witnessed  in  the 
Senate  last  Tuesday  when  Mr.  Thurston  spoke  on 
the  Cuban  situation.  He  referred  to  the  fact  that 
"not  less  than  four  hundred  thousand  simple,  peace- 
able, defenseless  country  people  had  been  driven  from 
their  homes  and  imprisoned  upon  the  barren  wastes 
outside  the  Cuban  cities."  "A  conservative  estimate 
indicates  that  two  hundred  and  ten  thousand  of  peo- 
ple have  perished  from  starvation."  "In  the  mean- 
time the  government  of  Spain  has  not  contributed 
one  dollar  to  house,  shelter,  feed  or  provide  medical 
attendance  for  these  sufferers."  The  speaker  said, 
after  a  somewhat  circumstantial  statement  of  the 
horrors  of  the  Spanish  invasion,  "I  shall  refer  to 
these  things  no  further.  They  are  there.  God  pity 
me,  I  have  seen  them !    They  will  remain  in  my  mind 


256  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

forever.  And  this  is  almost  the  twentieth  century! 
Christ  died  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  and  Spain 
is  a  Christian  nation;  she  has  set  up  more  crosses,  in 
more  lands,  beneath  more  skies,  and  under  them  has 
butchered  more  people  than  all  the  other  nations  of 
the  earth.  Europe  may  tolerate  her  existence  as  long 
as  the  people  of  the  Old  World  wish.  God  grant 
that  before  another  Christmas  morning  the  last  vest- 
ige of  Spanish  tyranny  and  oppression  shall  have 
vanished  from  the  Western  hemisphere!"  Is  there 
one  among  us  who  will  not  cordially  echo  that  wish  ? 
It  is  granted  that  intervention  on  our  part  may  mean 
war  with  Spain.  But  what  are  Christian  governments 
for,  aside  from  the  protection  of  their  own  peoples,  if 
not  to  vindicate  the  rights  of  humanity  and  protect 
the  weak  ?  This  is  the  very  essence  of  Christianity 
as  I  understand  it. 

"  In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  born  across  the  sea, 
With  a  glory  in  His  bosom  that  transfigured  you  and  me; 
As  He  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make  men  free; 
For  God  is  marching  on." 

IV.  War  can  be  concluded  only  by  the  evangelization  of 
the  world.  The  nations  must  first  acknowledge  by 
common  consent  that  the  Lord  is  God. 

Meanwhile  the  two  great  powers,  State  and  Church, 
must  proceed  along  parallel  lines,  doing  their  ap- 
pointed work.  If  the  Church  had  been  loyal  to  her 
responsibilities,  the  State  would  long  ago  have  been 
relieved  of  all  necessity  for  making  war. 

Let  us  be  grateful  that  God's  people  are  beginning 
to  realize,  in  some  measure,  the  importance  of  the 
Great  Commission.  The  Church  is  mobilizing  her 
forces  every  day.     I  recently  stood  in  the  presence  of 


THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM.  257 

a  great  convention  of  "  student  volunteers. "  There 
were  forty  college  presidents,  three  hundred  and 
sixty  professors  of  various  educational  institutions, 
and  more  than  two  thousand  students,  pledged  to  go 
forth  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world.  A  like 
assemblage  would  have  been  impossible  at  any  former 
period  in  history.  It  means  that  the  Bride  of  God, 
so  long  asleep  in  the  city  gates,  is  hearing  at  length 
the  Bridegroom's  voice,  "Awake!  awake,  O  Zion ! 
Shake  thyself  from  the  dust  and  put  on  thy  beautiful 
garments." 

At  a  single  session  of  our  national  legislature,  re- 
cently, an  appropriation  of  fifty  millions  of  money 
was  voted  without  a  dissenting  voice,  for  purposes  of 
war.  If  God's  people,  as  they  are  represented  in  the 
Christian  churches,  would,  with  corresponding  una- 
nimity and  enthusiasm,  set  apart  an  equal  sum  for 
the  purposes  of  Christian  conquest,  we  should  be 
able  to  build,  forthwith,  a  church  on  every  hilltop,  a 
Christian  school  in  every  valley,  with  bell-towers  at 
such  frequent  intervals  that  the  chimes  of  Shiloh's 
coming  should  ring  in  unbroken  melody  around  the 
world. 

War  will  cease  when  Jesus  comes  to  reign.  It  is 
for  the  Christian  Church  to  say  when  that  shall  be. 
In  that  consummation  of  history  the  prophecy  of 
Zechariah  shall  be  fulfilled.  He  saw  the  Captain  of 
our  salvation  standing  among  the  myrtle-trees;  and 
behind  him  an  angel  troop.  "Who  are  these  ?"  the 
prophet  asked.  "  We  have  returned, "  they  answered, 
"from  going  up  and  down  in  the  earth;  and,  behold, 
the  whole  earth  is  at  rest!  "  But  the  end  is  not  yet. 
"Watchman,  what  of  the  night?"     And  the  watch- 


258  THE    BEACON    ON    BETH-HACCEREM. 

man  said,  "The  night  cometh  !  "  Alas!  the  night 
seamed  with  the  lightnings  of  hatred  and  bloody- 
strife.  "But  the  morning,  also!"  God's  truce  is 
coming,  the  daybreak  of  peace  and  good -will  on 
earth. 

May  he  hasten  it  in  his  time!  Then  shall  be  heard 
again  the  primal  chorus,  silenced  so  long  amid  the 
clash  of  arms,  in  which  the  morning  stars  sang 
together  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy. 


A  CERTAIN  NOBLEMAN. 

"  So  Jesus  came  again  into  Cana  of  Galilee,  where  he  made  the  water  wine. 
And  there  was  a  certain  nobleman,  whose  son  was  sick  at  Capernaum.  When 
he  heard  that  Jesus  was  come  out  of  Judea  into  Galilee,  he  went  unto  him. 
and  besought  him  that  he  would  come  down,  and  heal  his  son  :  for  he  was  at 
the  point  of  death.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him.  Except  ye  see  signs  and  won- 
ders, ye  will  not  believe.  The  nobleman  saith  unto  him,  Sir,  come  down  ere 
my  child  die.  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Go  thy  way  ;  thy  son  liveth.  And  the  man 
believed  the  word  that  Jesus  had  spoken  unto  him,  and  he  went  his  way.  And 
as  he  was  now  going  down,  his  servants  met  him,  and  told  him,  saying,  Thy 
son  liveth.  Then  inquired  he  of  them  the  hour  when  he  began  to  amend.  And 
they  said  unto  him,  Yesterday  at  the  seventh  hour  the  fever  left  him.  So  the 
father  knew  that  it  was  at  the  same  hour,  in  the  which  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
Thy  son  liveth  :  and  himself  believed  and  his  whole  house."— John  4,  46-53. 

IJiave  something  to  say  about  Faith.  We  speak  of 
the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith  as  the  "article 
of  a  standing  or  a  falling  church  "  ;  it  is  more,  it  is 
the  article  of  a  living  or  a  dying  soul.  We  are  saved 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  You  say,  ''It  is  Christ 
himself  who  saves  ;  to  him  alone  be  the  glory!" 
True.  He  is  our  Saviour;  but  faith  is  the  instru- 
mental cause.  It  is  on  this  wise  :  A  railway  train  is 
waiting  to  be  drawn  to  Albany.  The  engine  is  ready 
and  quite  competent;  but  it  must  be  coupled  with 
the  cars  or  they  will  never  reach  their  destination. 
Christ  saves;  but  faith  is  the  coupler  that  binds  us  in 
vital  union  with  him. 

"  The  just  shall  live  by  faith."  This  is  the  truth 
that  came,  like  a  sunburst,  to  the  soul  of  Luther  as 
he  was  climbing  Sancta  Scala^  trusting  in  penance  and 

(259) 


26o  A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN. 

self-righteousness. — "  This  is  the  victory  that  over- 
cometh  the  world,  even  your  faith."  If  ever  we 
enter  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  city,  it  will  be  with 
the  banner  of  faith  flying  over  us. 

But  what  is  faith  ?  The  Latin  word  is  fides;  which 
we  have  in  ''diffidence  "  and  "confidence";  the  for- 
mer denoting  the  minimum,  and  the  latter  the  maxi- 
mum, of  faith.  The  word  in  the  Hebrew  is  cognate 
with  A77ie7i^ — which  to  our  every  prayer  affixes  the 
seal  of  personal  emphasis.  Faith  is  ''substance"; 
faith  is  "  evidence  "  (Heb.  ii,  i).  There  are  various 
kinds  and  measures  of  faith.  At  this  point  we  call  in 
a  certain  nobleman*  of  Capernaum  to  help  us. 

First.  T^ie  Faith  of  Hearsay.  The  child  of  this 
nobleman  is  lying  at  the  point  of  death.  A  passer-by 
in  the  narrow  street  sees  shadows  crossing  the  win- 
dow; he  gives  the  matter  but  a  heedless  thought; 
sickness  is  so  commonplace.  But  it  makes  a  great 
difference  which  side  of  that  window  you  are  on. 
Turning  the  "leaves  of  a  book  but  yesterday,  I  came 
upon  these  words  : 

"  We  watched  her  breathing  through  the  night, 
Her  breathing  soft  and  low  ; 
As  in  her  breast  the  wave  of  life 
Kept  heaving  to  and  fro." 

On  the  margin  was  written,  "July  4,  1880,  i  a.m." 
O  melancholy  date!  The  next  morning  the  shadow 
was  over  the  home. 

/.  One  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin. 
It  is  an  easy  matter  for  those  who  have  passed 
through  a  similar  experience,  to  ima^in^  the  anxiety 

*It  is  conjectured  with  much  probability  that  this  nobleman  was  Chuza, 
whose  wife,  Joanna,  was  a  devoted  follower  of  Jesus  (Luke  8,  3).      This  opin 
n  is  held  by  Trench,  Lightfoot,  Chemnitz  and  others. 


A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN.  261 

of  tnat  sickroom  at  Capernaum.  The  mother  sat 
"watching  by  the  little  sufferer;  stroking  his  hair, 
bathing  his  fevered  lips.  Near  by  stood  our  noble- 
man. He  was  steward  in  the  king's  palace.  He  had 
wealth  and  influence,  but  they  were  unavailing  here. 
The  family  physician  had  done  his  best.  Perhaps  a 
consultation  had  been  held;  and  the  leeches  had 
shaken  their  heads  ominously.  "  Th£  blacky  camel 
knelt  for  his  burden."     No   hope! 

Presently    the   father  said,    "Wife,   it   is   rumored 
that  your  Nazarene  rabbi  has  come  again  into  Gali-  ^ 
lee  and  is  now  at  Cana. " 

"Jesus  at  Cana?  O  husband,  if  you  could  but  see 
him  I  He  has  power  to  heal.  You  do  not  believe;  but  ! 
indeed  he  has  wrought  many  wonderful  works.  Go,  I  \ 
pray  you,  and   entreat   him   to   heal  our  little  lad.'      / 

"I  will  send  a  servant,"  he  said.  "  It  is  a  long  : 
journey;  and  who  knows  whether  he  can  help  us  ?  i 
But  it  can  do  no  harm.    I  will  send  and  entreat  him."    ) 

"Nay,  nay,  Chuza;  go  thyself^and  see  him  face  to 
face.      He  will  not  refuse  thee!" 

It  was  a  journey  of  twenty  miles,  and  up  hill  all 
the  way.  But,  hoping  against  hope,  the  nobleman 
went.  And,  as  he  journeyed,  he  reasoned  within 
himself  :  "I  greatly  fear  this  is  a  fool's  errand.  It  is 
hard  to  believe  that  the  Nazarene  carpenter  can  suc- 
ceed in  a  case  where  the  court  physicians  have  failed. 
It  would  indeed  require  a  miracle;  and  only  the  un- 
learned believe  in  miracles.  Nevertheless,  to  please 
my  beloved  wife,  I  will  appeal  to  him.  Who  knows? 
Perhaps  some  good  may  come  of  it." 

In  the  meantime  the  faithful  Joanna,  watching  by 
the  bedside   of   the   little    patient,    knelt    again    and 


262  A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN. 

again,  praying,  "O  God,  bless  my  husband  on  his 
errand.  Let  Jesus  heed  his  request.  And  let  my 
dear  man  see  the  beauty  and  the  power  of  Christ, 
and  learn  to  love  and  follow  him." 
2-  Shall  we  blame  this  nobleman  for  his  little  faith  ? 
There  were  many  difficulties  in  the  way.  To  begin 
with,  Cana  and  Capernaum  were  so  far  apart.  A 
physician  must  needs  come  to  the  bedside  and  make 
his  diagnosis,  feel  the  patient's  pulse  and  prescribe 
the  remedy  then  and  there.  How  was  Chuza  to  know 
that  Jesus  was  superior  to  all  limitations  of  time  and 
space  ?  'Tndeed  his  child  so  critically  ill  might  have 
passed  away  ere  now.  How  was  he  to  know  that 
Jesus  loved  to  exercise  his  superhuman  skill  on  des- 
perate cases  ?  There  were  rumors,  indeed,  of  his 
healing  chronic  invalids,  bedridden  cripples,  lepers 
and  demoniacs;  but  these  rumors  must  be  taken  with 
a  grain  of  allowance.  As  yet  Chuza  had  nothing  but 
the  faith  of  hearsay.  Seeing  is  believing.  He  will 
trust  nothing  short  of  the  testimony  of  his  senses. 
So  the  courtier  probably  reasoned  along  the  way. 
^  All  of  us  have  the  faith  of  hearsay.  What  shall  be 
don^w^ithir?  We  have  heard  of  Jesus  from  our 
mothers'  lips.  We  have  read  in  our  Bibles  the  story 
of  his  wonderful  life.  We  have  listened  to  the 
preaching  of  his  gospel  for  years.  The  whole  world 
is  talking  about  Jesus.  His  name  and  renown  are  in 
\  the  air.  Thus  all  have  the  faith  of  hearsay.  But 
what  shall  be  done  with  it  ?  Let  us  live  up  to  it,  as 
Chuza'did.  Let  us  go  to  Cana  and,  face  to  face  with 
Jesus,  confirm  the  rumor,  or  refute  it.  This  is  the 
part  of  wise  men. 

Second. — The   Faith   of  Approach,    or    of    personal 


A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN.  263 

^audience  with  Christ.  It  was  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  when  the  nobleman  reached  Cana.  He  found 
Jesus,  probably,  in  the  home  of  Nathanael,  convers- 
ing with  his  friends.  At  once  he  said,  "Come  down, 
and  heal  my  child!  "  No  words  were  wasted  in  cere- 
mony ;  a  matter  of  life  and  death  is  heedless  of  conven- 
tionality. No  door-bell  gets  such  hard  usage  as  that 
of  the  physician.  An  anxious  heart  forgets  punctilio. 
And  Jesus  said,  "Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders, 
ye  will  not  believe."  Here  is  a  commingling  of 
rebuke  and  encouragement.  The  man,  however, 
was  in  no  mood  for  didactics.  It  was  true,  indeed, 
that  his  faith,  lacking  the  confirmation  of  signs  and 
wonders,  was  only  a  broken  reed;  but  his  impor- 
tunity used  it  like  a  scepter.  The  vision  of  his  little 
son  burning  with  fever  was  before  his  eyes, 

"Sir,  come  down,"  he  cried,  "ere  my  child  die!" 
The  heart  of  the  compassionate  Christ  was  touched. 
What  could  he  do  ? 

"And  he  saith  unto  him.  Go  thy  way;  thy  son 
liveth!  " 

j  And  the  man  believed  the  word  that  Jesus  had 
spoken  unto  him,  and  he  went  his  way.  H^  seems 
to  have  had  no  misgivings.  He  went  his  way  at  a 
leisurely  pace,  not  reaching  Capernaum  until  the 
next  day.  "He  that  believeth,  shall  not  make 
haste."  He  took  Jesus  at  his  word.  Dictum^ 
factum.  The  word  of  the  Master  was  enough  for 
him.  He  tarried  at  an  inn  somewhere  that  night. 
As  he  lay  down  to  rest,  he  may  have  soliloquized  on 
this  wise:  "  I  cannot  account  for  it;  but  I  feel  quite 
sure  that  my  little  lad  is  delivered  from  death.  There 
was  something  in  the  face  of  Jesus  which  inspires  me 


\ 


264  A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN. 

with  a  great  confidence.  A  most  singular  man! 
Who ^an  lie  be  ?  Is  Joanna  right  ?  Is  he  the  very- 
Son  of  God  ? " 

And  while  Chuza  sleeps  at  the  inn,  lulled  to  rest  by 
his  confidence,  let  us  observe  that  he  has  graduated 
from  the  faith  of  hearsay  and  come  into  that  clearer 
confidence  which  is  reached  only  by  looking  into  the 
face  of  Jesus.  An  earnest  man,  realizing  that  the 
great  question  is,  "What  think  ye  of  Christ  ?  "  wUjL 
^not  be  satisfied  with  rumors.  The  part  of  reason  is 
to  seek  a  personal  interviev\^;  and  we  can  always  meet 
Jesus  at  the  mercy-seat  and  confer  with  him. 
C  _  Do  you  want  anything  ?  Our  life  is  a  bundle  of 
wants.  John  Quincy  Adams,  quoting  the  familiar 
lines — 

"  One  wants  but  little  here  below, 
Nor  wants  that  little  long," 

was  moved  to  add, 

"  'Tis  not  with  me  exactly  so, 
Though  'tis  so  in  the  song." 

We  are  doubtless  all  of  a  similar  mind.  We  want 
health,  vigor,  long  life,  influence,  wealth,  pleasure, 
wisdom,  friends,  reputation,  life,  everything.  Our 
faculties  are  like  the  family  of  the  horse-leech,  all 
daughters,  and  every  one  crying,  "Give!  Give!" 
Eyes  and  ears,  hands,  palate  and  heart,  are  ever 
unsatisfied. 

;'  There  is  one  alone  who  can  supply  our  need.  Go 
tell  it  to  Jesus.  Make  a  clean  breast  of  it.  If  your 
desire  is  wrong,  he  will  kindly  reason  with  you ;  if_ 
right,  he  will  exceed  your  fondest  hope.  Do  not  be 
over-particular  as  to  your  liturgy.  "  Come  down!  " 
said  the   nobleman.      It  was  brief  and  abrupt;    but 


A    CERTAIN    NOBIlEMAN.  265 

Jesus  knew.  Be  sincere  and  in  earnest.  You  are 
bearing  a  burden;  he  can  lift  it.  You  are  discour- 
aged; he  can  bind  a  girdle  of  strength  about  your 
ioins.  You  are  under  conviction  of  sin,  oppressed 
with  *'a  certain  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment."  I 
congratulate  you,  my  friend  ;  you  are  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  But  do  not  make  the  mistake 
of  trying  to  save  yourself.  Do  not  let  the  adversary 
get  the  better  of  you  with  suggestions  of  personal 
merit.  "Go  and  tell  Jesus."  Cry  earnestly  unto  him. 
He  loves  the  cry  of  a  returning  prodigal  more  than 
all  the  misereres  of  the  chanting  Pharisees.  JHe  will 
say,    "  Goin   peace;    thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee!" 

Third.  —  The  Faith  of  Experience.  It  v/as  bright 
and  early  the  next  morning  when  the  nobleman 
arose.  He  set  out  upon  his  journey  with  an  acceler- 
ated step ;  he  Jiad_confidence  that  his  son  was  healed  ; 
but,  with  a  father's  love,  he  longed  to  meet  him.  As 
he  drew  near  to  Capernaum,  he  saw  in  the  distance 
some  of  his  servants  approaching;  they  had  been  sent 
out  doubtless  by  his  faithful  wife  to  reassure  him. 
We  should  expect  him  to  ask,  "What  of  the  lad  ?" 
But  he  says  nothing.  The  servants,  impatient  of 
delay,  cry  aloud,  ''Thj-  son  liveth!"  He  manifests 
no  surprise;  it  is  just  as  he  expected. 

"Tell  me,"  he  inquires,  "the  hour  when  he  began 
to  amend." 

"Yesterday  at  the  seventh  hour,"  they  reply,  "the 
fever  left  him." 

/  Yesterday  at  the  seventh  hour!  It  was  the  very 
hour  when  Jesus  had  said,  "Go  thy  way;  thy  son, 
liveth. "  A^trange^  coincidence!.  Is  that  all  ?  Then 
the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  was  crowded  with   coinci- 


266  A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN. 

dences. — One  morning  he  went  down  to  the  shore 
of  Gennesareth  and  found  a  co_mpanyj)f  fishermen 
there.  "Have  ye  caught  anything?"  he  asked. 
"  Nay;  we  have  toiled  all  night  and  taken  nothing." 
"Push  out  from  the  shore,"  said  he,  "and  let 
down  your  nets  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship."  They 
did  so,  and,  behold,  their  nets  came  in  full  of  fishes. — 
On  another  occasion  he  lay  asleep  in  a  little  boat 
when  a  tempest  arose,  and  the  boatmen,  being  at 
their  wits'  end,  awoke  him,  crying,  "Master,  carest 
thou  not  that  we  perish  ?  "  He  arose,  stretched  forth 
his  hands,  said,  "Peace,  be  still !  "  and  instantly  there 
was  a  great  calm.  A  strange  coincidence! — He  went 
down  to  Bethesda  where  there  were  a  great  number 
of  lame  and  withered  and  halt;  and  finding  there  a 
man  who  had  been  a  hopeless  cripple  thirty  and  eight 
years,  he  said  to  him,  "  Rise  up  and  walk."  Yonder 
he  goes  with  his  mattress  on  his  shoulder.  Another 
strange  coincidence! — As  Christ  was  journeying  he 
heard  the  lamentable  cry  of  ten  lepers,  standing  in 
the  distance  with  their  fingers  on  their  lips.  "Un- 
clean! unclean!  have  mercy  upon  us!"  He  bade 
them  go  show  themselves  to  the  priest  for  their 
cleansing;  and  as  they  went,  lo,  the  scales  of  their 
leprosy  fell  off.  A  marvelous  coincidence! — And, 
again,  Jesus  stood  before  the  grave  of  Lazarus,  who 
had  been  dead  four  days,  and  cried,  "Come  forth!" 
Yonder  he  comes,  issuing  from  the  sepulcher,  bound 
hand  and  foot  with  grave  clothes.  Again  a  coinci- 
dence!— You  have  known  a  man  addicted  to  an  uncon- 
querable habit;  a  poor  inebriate  who  had  tried  every- 
thing, turning  over  "new leaves, "signing  pledges,  tak- 
ing the  gold  cure ;  at  length  he  sought  the  presence  of 


A    CERTAIN     NOBLEMAN.  267 

Christ,  who  lifted  him  up  and  made  a  man  of  him, 
"clothed  and  in  his  right  mind."  Call  that  a  coinci- 
dence, if  you  will. — You  yourself  were  a  sinner  and 
profoundly  felt  it  ;  one  blessed  day  you  came  to 
Christ  beating  upon  your  breast  and  crying,  "Be 
merciful!"  He  said,  "  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  " ; 
and  ever  since  you  have  gone  singing,  "  Bless  the 
Lord,  O  my  soul."  Great  coincidences,  these!  All 
history  is  crowded  with  them.  Christ  is  the  wonder- 
worker. Nothing  is  too  hard  foxJUm. 
2  But  let  us  get  back  to  our  nobleman.  As  he  ap- 
proached his  home,  perhaps  the  little  lad  ran  out  to 
meet  him.  And  when  the  loving  father  held  him  in 
his  arms,  the  last  remnant  of  his  doubt  vanished. 
The  faith  of  hearsay  had  become  the  faith  of  personal 
experience.  He  passed  through  the  doorway  of  his 
home  and  Joanna  met  him.  "Now  I  know, "  said  . 
he,  "that  this  Jesus  is  the  very  Christ.  I  believe  in 
him  not  because  of  your  words,  but  because  I  have 
seen  and  proved  him.  Henceforth,  I  will  follow  and 
serve  him." 

^•'  "And  himself  believed  and  his  whole  household." 
Here  we  leave  him;  kneeling  with  wife  and  son  and 
,     servants  at  the  family  altar.      This  is  the  nearest  ap^ 
proach   to    heaven.      We    can    overhear  his    prayer  :  / 
"I  thank  thee,  Father,  for  the  healing  of  our  child. 
And  I  thank  thee  for  the  opening  of  the  eyes  of  my 
understanding.    We  of  this  household  do  revere  Jesus 
as  thy  well-beloved  Son.      Help  us  faithfully  to  serve 
him."     And  Joanna  said,  "Amen." 
(_^j        What  is  our  lesson  ?      Christ  is  the  mighty  to  save. 
Was  it  a  great  thing  to  restore  the  little  lad  to  health? 
It  was  greater  to  open  his  father's  eyes.     Of  all  the 


268  A    CERTAIN    NOBLEMAN. 

marvels  in  the  world,  there  is  none  comparable  with 
the  deliverance  of  a  soul  from  spiritual  and  eternal 
death.  In  the_harbor  of  Havana  lies  the  wreck  of 
''  The  Maine;  "  a  rent  and  tangled  framework  of  iron. 
They  say  that  all  the  wreckers  on  earth  cannot  raise 
her.  If  now  a  wonder-worker  were  to  wave  his  wand 
and  call  that  battle-ship  to  the  surface  of  the  water, 
with  pennant  flying  and  all  her  crew  alive  and  at 
their  posts  on  her  decks,  what  a  marvel  that  would 
be!  Yet  Christ  is  doing  greater  wonders  constantly 
before  our  eyes.  He  restores  the  soul  of  a  sinner, 
whose  faculties  are  in  utter  ruin,  girds  him  with  the 
glorious  strength  of  manhood  and  sets  his  lips 
atremble  with  the  song  of  salvation.  Faith  does 
this;  that  is,  the  contact  of  the  dead  with  the  living, 
a  sinner  with  the  Prince  of  Life, 

On  the  ceiling  of  the  Sistine  Chapel  is  Angelo's 
picture  of  The  Creation  of  Man  An  insensate  body 
is  reclining  on  a  verdant  knoll;  the  Omnipotent  is 
reaching  down  from  above;  from  God's  finger  to  the 
uplifted  hand  of  man  is  passing  an  electric  spark; 
and,  lo.  he  becomes  a  living  soul  Reach  up  your 
hand,  my  friend,  and  feel  the  electric  thrill  that 
comes  from  God  Stand  upon  your  feet  a  new  man 
in  Christ  Jesus;  a  sinner  saved  by  Christ  through 
faith;  as  it  is  written,  ''  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the 
uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by  him." 


THE  FORTUNATE  ANGEL 

An  Easter  Meditation, 

"And  behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven  and  came  and 
rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat  upon  it." — Matt.  28,  2. 

The  unseen  world  is  nearer  than  we  think.  We  are 
prevented  by  our  physical  limitations  from  communi- 
cating with  its  inhabitants;  but  there  are  reasons  for 
believing  that  they  are  familiar  with  events  transpir- 
ing here.     In  our  childhood  we  sang  : 

"  There  is  a  happy  land 
Far,  far  away," 

The  hymn  has  gone  out  of  fashion,  yielding  to  a 
general  and  just  opinion  that  heaven  is  in  close  touch 
with  us. 

On  the  heights  of  Bethel  a  lonely  man,  fleeing 
from  the  wrath  of  a  wronged  brother,  lies  down  to 
rest  with  a  stone  for  his  pillow.  He  dreams;  and  lo, 
a  ladder  is  let  down  from  heaven  to  earth ;  and  angels 
are  going  upward  with  the  wanderer's  prayers  and 
coming  down  with  blessings  upon  him.  *'Far,  far 
away  "  ?  Oh,  no.  The  man  awakes  to  realize  that 
ministering  spirits,  at  the  divine  behest,  are  ever  near 
to  guide  and  succor  him. 

(269) 


270  THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL. 

Thus  let  the  way  appear, 

Steps  unto  heaven  ; 
All  that  Thou  sendest  me, 

In   mercy  given  ; 
Angels  to  beckon  me 
Nearer,  my  God,  to   Thee, 
Nearer  to  Thee  ! 

We  are  apt  to  view  the  doctrine  of  Angel  Ministra- 
trations  with  misgiving.  And  little  wonder,  consid- 
ering its  unwarranted  uses.  So-called  "Spiritualism" 
is  a  grotesque  and  stupendous  fraud.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  unseen  world  are  surely  in  better  business 
than  tipping  tables,  posing  as  ghosts  in  darkened 
rooms  and  talking  transcendental  nonsense  to  short- 
haired  women  and  long-haired  men.  But  we  must 
not,  on  this  account,  be  frightened  out  of  a  most 
helpful  doctrine.  No  truth  is  without  its  reductio  ad 
absurdum.  The  devil  misquoted  Scripture  to  our 
Lord;  "He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  concerning 
thee :  and  in  their  hands  they  shall  bear  thee  up,  lest 
at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone." 
But  this  truth  is  none  the  less  precious  for  the  devil's 
garbling  it.  The  angels  are  ambassadors  between 
heaven  and  earth;  as  it  is  written,  "Are  they  not  all 
ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them 
who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation?" 

How  oft  do  they  their  silver  bowers  leave 

To  come  to  succor  us  that  succor  want  ! 
How  oft  do  they  with  golden  pinions  cleave 

The  flittering  skies,  like  flying  pursuivant. 

Against  foul  fiends  to  aid  us  militant  ! 
They  for  us  fight  ;  they  watch  and  duly  ward 

And  their  bright  squadrons  round  about  us  plant: 
And  all  for  love  and  nothing  for  reward. 
Oh,  why  should  heavenly  God  to  men  have  such  regard  ? 


THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL.  271 

The  Old  Testament  is  full  of  their  service.  A  man 
is  threshing  wheat  by  a  wine-press  in  Oprah,  fearful 
of  the  Midianites  who  have  overrun  the  land.  An 
angel  appears  to  him  saying,  ''The  Lord  is  with 
thee,  thou  mighty  man  of  valor;  go,  save  thy  people, 
saith  the  Lord;  have  not  I  sent  thee?" — A  man  is 
sitting  in  the  gateway  of  Sodom  ;  two  wayfarers  draw 
near,  dusty  with  travel;  he  invites  them  to  tarry  all 
night  with  him.  In  the  morning  they  lay  aside  their 
disguise  and  admonish  him;  "Arise,  take  thy  wife 
and  daughters  and  escape;  look  not  behind  thee  nor 
stay  in  all  the  plain!" — The  prophet  Elijah,  fleeing 
to  the  wilderness  from  the  fury  of  a  woman 
scorned,  weary  and  famishing,  casts  himself  un- 
der a  juniper  tree,  crying,  "It  is  enough,  O  Lord, 
take  away  my  life!"  He  sleeps;  presently  an  angel 
awakes  him,  saying,  "Arise  and  eat;"  and,  behold 
"a  cake  baken  on  the  coals  and  a  cruse  of  water  at 
his  head." — A  bond  slave,  driven  from  home,  wanders 
in  the  desert  with  her  child  who  is  perishing  of 
thirst;  she  lays  him  in  the  shadow  of  a  shrub  to  die 
and  weeps  aloud:  an  angel  speaks,  "What  aileth 
thee,  Hagar  ?  God  hath  heard  the  voice  of  the  lad ;" 
and  the  murmur  of  a  fountain  falls  upon  her  ears. — 
At  the  time  of  the  evening  oblation,  Daniel,  clothed 
in  sackcloth  for  the  sins  of  his  people,  kneels  in 
prayer;  "O  Lord,  righteousness  belongeth  unto 
thee,  but  unto  us  confusion  of  face;  let  thine 
anger  be  turned  away  from  thy  Holy  City,  and 
cause  thy  face  to  shine  upon  thy  desolate  sanc- 
tuary; incline  thine  ear;  O  Lord,  hearken,  and 
defer  not!"  The  words  have  scarcely  fallen  from 
his  lips  ere  an  angel  stands  beside  him  with  the  as- 


272  THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL. 

surance  of   the  coming  of  ■Messiah  in  fulness  of  time. 

How  far  is  it,  then,  from  heaven  to  earth?  The 
journey  was  made  while  Daniel  was  on  his  knees.  It 
is  written  of  the  angels,  "They  excel  in  strength!  " 
A  cannon  ball  would  require  five  hundred  years  to 
pass  from  our  world  to  the  sun ;  but  who  shall  esti- 
mate the  speed  of  an  angel  of  light?  By  what  spir- 
itual clairvoyance  do  these  celestial  beings  surmount 
the  difficulties  of  time  and  space?  They  seem  to 
traverse  the  interstellar  distances  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  e3^e. 

The  angels  are  represented  as  having  a  special  in- 
terest in  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus.  One  was  chosen 
to  make  the  annunciation  to  Mar}^;  ''  Hail,  thou  that 
art  highl}^  favored,  the  Lord  is  with  thee!  "  A  group 
of  them  were  appointed  to  sing  the  birth-song, 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace, 
good  will  toward  men!  "  Others  were  sent  to  minister 
to  him  after  his  temptation  in  the  wilderness.  Two 
of  the  saints  triumphant,  Moses  and  Elias,  held  con- 
verse with  him  in  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration 
*' concerning  the  decease  which  he  should  accomplish 
at  Jerusalem;"  showing  that  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven  are  cognizant  of  earthly  events.  There  were 
"  legions  of  angels"  above  his  cross,  waiting  at  his 
word  to  draw  the  cruel  nails  and  bear  him  in  tri- 
umph to  his  throne.  When  the  great  tragedy  was 
over,  they  still  lingered,  invisible,  while  the  crucified 
One  was  carried  to  his  grave. 

And  Pilate  said  to  his  servitors,  "  Go,  make  the 
sepulcher  as  fast  as  ever  you  can ;  see  that  the  stone 
is  secure;  seal  it  up."  Seal  it  up?  Seal  up  the  day- 
spring!     Seal  up   the  fountains  of   the  mighty  deep! 


THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL.  273 

Bring  hither  the  waters  of  the  ocean  in  a  calabash! 
Measure  the  air  in  a  wine-skin!  Who  is  this  that 
would  seal  up  the  Author  of  life  in  a  sepulcher?  He 
that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh !  For  hath  he 
not  said,  *'  I  will  not  leave  thy  soul  in  Sheol;  neither 
will  I  suffer  my  Holy  One  to  see  corruption  "  ? 

In  heaven  a  messenger  is  wanted;  "Who  will  go 
to  Joseph's  garden  and  roll  away  the  stone?  "  All 
heaven  is  full  of  volunteers.  One  is  chosen.  O  for- 
tunate angel!  "  Go  carry  the  message  of  the  resur- 
rection! Go  roll  away  the  stone!  Go  break  the  seal! 
Put  powers  and  principalities  to  shame!  Release  my 
well-beloved  Son!" 

It  is  the  darkest  hour  of  the  night.  In  Joseph's 
garden  the  sentinels  are  passing  to  and  fro.  The 
moment  is  at  hand.  What  sudden  light  is  this? 
With  the  speed  of  lightning  the  messenger  has 
come;  one  glance,  and  the  guards  are  fallen  upon 
their  faces  as  dead  men.  He  touches  the  stone;  it 
rolls  away.  He  loosens  the  shroud;  unwinds  the 
napkin  from  the  wounded  brow;  and,  lo,  Jesus 
comes  forth!  His  chariot  waits;  He  mounts  aloft. 
God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout!  From  the  distance 
comes  the  song,  "Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates; 
and  be  ye  lifted  up  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  let  the 
King  of  Glory  enter  in!" 

I.  The  angel  of  the  restirrection  was  fortunate  in 
beifig  pertJiitted  to  serve  the  King.  Need  it  be  said 
that  Jesus  could  have  dispensed  with  this  service? 
He  had  "power  to  lay  down  his  life  and  power  to 
take  it  again."  The  rolling  away  of  the  stone  was  a 
small  matter  to  One  who  by  his  indwelling  energy 
was  able  to  overcome  the   King  of    Terrors.      But 


?74  THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL. 

here  we  note  the  blessed  condescension  of  our  Lord: 
he  invites  men  and  angels  to  become  "laborers  to- 
gether with  him." 

A  man  is  busy  in  his  workshop.  His  little  son  is 
playing  among  the  chips  and  shavings.  "Come,  my 
son,"  he  says,  putting  a  saw  into  his  hand,  "help 
me."  Proud  lad;  to  be  helping  his  father!  It  is 
proper  training  for  the  serious  business  of  life.  So  God 
sees  us  playing  with  yellow  dust  and  chasing  thistle- 
down; and  he  calls  us  to  fetch  and  carry  for  him.  It 
is  our  apprenticeship  for  eternity.  It  is  glorious  prep- 
aration for  the  larger  tasks  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  world  believes  in  Christ.  It  believes  in  him 
as  an  historic  fact;  it  credits  the  story  of  the  manger 
and  the  cross;  but,  as  for  the  story  of  the  open 
sepulcher?  Just  there  the  eyebrows  are  lifted.  The 
world  believes  in  a  dead  Christ.  The  stone  is  still 
against  the  door  of  the  sepulcher.  It  is  for  us  to 
roll  it  away.     The  King  asks  this  service  of  us. 

The  truth  of  the  resurrection  is  God's  sign-manual 
on  the  work  of  redemption;  as  it  is  written,  "He 
was  delivered  for  our  offenses  and  raised  again  for 
our  justification."  Without  this  the  gospel  is  like 
the  story  of  Edwin  Drood;  it  lacks  a  defioueijierit.  Tell 
it  out,  therefore,  that  he  who  was  dead  is  alive  and 
liveth  forevermore.  Tell  it  in  your  walk  and  con- 
versation; show  it  by  the  glory  shining  in  your  face; 
sing  it  with  heart  and  understanding: 

"From  the  dark  grave  he  rose, 

The  mansions  of  the  dead; 
And  thence  his  mighty  foes 

In  glorious  triumph  led. 
Up  through  the  sky  the  Conqueror  rode, 
And  reigns  on  high  the  Savior  God!" 


THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL.  275 

II.  The  angel  of  the  resurrection  was  fortunate^  also^ 
in  being  permitted  to  render  a  special  service  to  the  Church. 
As  yet  the  Church  was  but  a  little  company  of  "  fee- 
ble folk  like  the  conies."  The  heart  went  out  of 
them  when  Christ  was  crucified.  John  and  the  three 
Marys  stood  on  Calvary  with  their  faces  fallen  upon 
their  breasts.  At  the  window  of  the  upper  room  in 
Salome's  house  there  were  others  who  looked  off  to- 
ward the  hill ;  saw  the  strange  darkness,  and  then 
the  returning  light,  and  saw  through  their  tears  the 
dark  effigy  against  the  sky.  He  whom  they  had  ex- 
pected to  redeem  Israel  was  dead.  '*I  go  a-fishing, " 
said  Peter;  the  others  said,  "We  also  go  with  thee." 
Why  not  ?  Their  hopes  were  dashed;  their  Lord 
was  lying  in  his  grave. 

As  they  were  dragging  their  nets  in  the  early 
twilight  of  the  morning  they  saw  One  walking  on 
the  shore.  They  whispered,  "It  is  the  Lord." 
Then  Peter,  throwing  off  his  fisher's  coat,  cast  himself 
into  the  water  and  swam  to  meet  him.  The  fishing 
days  of  Peter  and  his  friends  were  over.  Jesus  was 
risen  from  the  dead.  The  work  of  his  kingdom  must 
thenceforth  engage  their  every  thought. 

Now  it  was  the  Day  of  Pentecost;  in  the  power 
of  the  Spirit  the  disciples  were  speaking  with  other 
tongues.  The  on-lookers  asked,  "What  meaneth 
this  ?  "  Some  said,  "  It  is  the  power  of  new  wine." 
Peter  was  on  his  feet  at  peril  of  his  life,  to  speak 
of  Jesus.  "New  wine!"  he  cried,  "Nay,  this  is 
the  prophecy  of  Joel,  '  It  shall  come  to  pass  in  the 
last  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh.'  Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these  words: 
Ye  took  Jesus  of   Nazareth  and  crucified  him  with 


276  THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL. 

wicked  hands;  and  behold,  God  hath  loosed  him 
from  the  pains  of  death:  He,  therefore,  being  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  exalted,  hath  breathed  his  Spirit 
upon    us!  " 

A  little  later  we  hear  Peter  saying,  "Blessed 
be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  according  to  his  abundant  mercy  hath  begotten 
us  again  "  (as  if  a  begetting  into  the  faith  of  Christ 
crucified  were  not  enough)  "unto  a  living  hope 
by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead!" 
And  the  time  came  when  this  man,  who  once 
trembled  and  fell  before  the  pointed  finger  of  a 
maid-servant,  went  forth  without  a  tremor  to  be  cru- 
cified beyond  the  city  walls,  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the 
crown  of  martyrdom  made  for  his  devotion  to  the 
truth. 

The  doctrine  of  the  risen  Christ  is  our  inspiration. 
It  is  the  inspiration  of  the  Church  in  her  great  propa- 
ganda. The  world  is  to  be  won  by  the  doctrine  of  a 
living  Christ.  Scotland  was  once  saved  by  an  army 
following  a  golden  urn  which  contained  the  em- 
balmed heart  of  Robert  the  Bruce.  The  Captain  of 
our  Salvation  is  the  Conqueror  of  Death.  He  gave 
the  watchword  on  Olivet  when  he  said  to  the  assem- 
bled disciples,  "All  power  is  given  unto  mem  heaven 
and  in  earth.  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  evangelize;  and, 
lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world." 

HI.  A  distinct  and  glorious  service  was  rendered  by  this 
fortunate  a?igel  to  all  the  children  of  ??ten.  Blessed  is  the 
bearer  of  glad  tidings!  In  the  early  dusk  a  group  of 
women  set  out  for  the  sepulcher  with  spices  to  em- 
balm their  Lord.     They  went  with  leaden  feet;  ask- 


THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL.  277 

ing  by  the  way,  "  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone  ? " 
As  they  drew  near,  however,  they  perceived  that  the 
stone  was  already  rolled  away,  and  the  angel  was 
there,  sitting  upon  it.  "The  Lord  whom  ye  seek," 
he  said,  "is  not  here ;  he  is  risen  !  "  A  moment  later 
they  were  running  to  tell  the  disciples.  What  cared 
they  for  decorum  ?  One  of  them  was  the  wife  of  the 
royal  steward.  On  she  ran,  eyes  bright,  face  flushed, 
lips  trembling,  heart  beating  wildly!  •  Oh  for  winged 
feet  to  bear  them  now!  Run!  Run!  Tell  the  world 
that  Christ  is  risen! 

The  world  has  enough  of  dead  gods.  Zeus  and 
Apollo,  the  gods  of  Walhalla,  dreamy-eyed  Buddh, 
all  are  dead.  They  have  eyes,  but  they  see  not;  ears, 
but  they  hear  not;  hands,  but  they  help  not.  We 
dwell  in  a  great  pantheon  full  of  dead  deities. 
Blessed  is  the  man  who  knows  his  commission  and 
hastens  to  say,  "There  is  One  that  liveth,  One  that 
is  mighty  to  save;  One  that  hath  at  his  girdle  the 
keys  of  death  and  hell!  " 

The  word  for  Easter  is  Sursum  Corda !  Up  with 
your  hearts,  O  followers  of  Christ  !  Hallelujah  ! 
"The  Lord  is  risen,  indeed."  It  gladdens  our  lives, 
it  glorifies  our  faith,  it  makes  the  gospel  the  power  of 
God  unto   salvation. 

Do  you  cherish  among  your  treasures  a  letter, 
worn  and  tear  stained,  written  by  one  who  long  ago 
passed  out  of  your  life  ?  What  if,  as  you  sit  reading 
it,  a  hand  should  be  laid  upon  you,  and,  looking 
up,  you  should  hear  him  say,  "I  am  alive;  weep 
not!  "  The  story  of  Christ  crucified  is  such  a  letter. 
Read  it  to-night  with  a  new  expectancy.  Listen  for 
his   step;   lift  up  your  eyes;   he  speaks.     It  is   the 


278  THE    FORTUNATE    ANGEL. 

voice  of  the  Shepherd  come  to  awake  and  woo 
his  bride:  "  Rise  up,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come 
away;  for,  lo,  the  winter  is  past;  the  rain  is  over  and 
gone;  the  flowers  appear  on  the  earth,  and  the  time 
of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come.  Arise,  my  love,  my 
fair  one,  and  come  away!" 


THE  PRIDE  OF  NAAMAN. 

"  So  Naaman  came  with  his  horses  and  with  his  chariot,  and  stood  at  the 
door  of  the  house  of  Elisha.  And  Elisha  sent  a  messenger  unto  him,  saying-, 
Go  and  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thy  flesh  shall  come  again  to  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  be  clean.  But  Naaman  was  wroth  and  went  away,  and  said. 
Behold,  I  thought,  He  will  surely  come  out  to  me,  and  stand,  and  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and  strike  his  hand  over  the  place,  and  recover 
the  leper.  Are  not  Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than  all 
the  waters  of  Israel?  may  I  not  wash  in  them,  and  be  clean?  So  he  turned, 
and  went  away  in  a  rage." — II.  Kings  5,  9-12. 

The  keynote  of  the  life  and  character  of  Naaman  is 
pride.  And  why  should  he  not  be  proud  ?  He  was 
a  mighty  man  of  valor;  brave,  cautious,  energetic. 
He  was  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Syrian  armies. 
The  time  was  when  Ben-hadad  commanded  in  person  ; 
but  now  he  was  old  and  Naaman  was  his  trusted 
helper.  Surely,  the  king's  favorite,  the  wealthy  aris- 
tocrat, the  successful  captain,  had  reason  to  be  proud. 

Nor  was  he  singular  in  this.  Pride  is  our  universal 
failing.  An  East  Side  missionary  says  that  the  fami- 
lies of  his  congregation  who  have  but  a  single  chair 
in  their  tenements  are  scarcely  recognized  by  the 
others.  On  Cherry  Street  it  is  a  question  of  chairs; 
on  Fifth  Avenue,  of  birth  and  culture  and  wealth. 
In  some  of  the  Alpine  valleys  the  people  are  proud  of 
their  goiters;  on  the  Congo,  of  their  thick  lips. 

In  any  case,  however,  pride  is  irrational.  A  gnat 
having  alighted  on  a  bull's  horn  said,  '' I'm  afraid 

(279) 


28o  THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN. 

I'm  heavy;  if  I  trouble  you,  say  so  and  I'll  be  off." 
"Oh,  never  mind,"  was  the  reply;  "I  shouldn't  have 
known  you  were  there  if  you  hadn't  mentioned  it." 
Strange  what  a  small  amount  of  capital  will  set  a  man 
up  in  this  business.  ''  Why  should  the  spirit  of  mor- 
tal be  proud  ?  "  Naaman  was  no  worse  than  the  rest 
of  us. 

But  there  was  a  minor  note;  "he  was  a  leper." 
This  was  the  crook  in  Naaman's  lot.  The  white  scale 
was  on  his  forehead.  Had  he  been  an  Israelite  it 
would  have  disqualified  him  for  public  service ;  not 
so  in  Syria.  As  yet,  the  disease  had  not  reached  its 
malignant  stage;  his  visor  would  hide  it.  Ah,  but  he 
knew,  his  household  knew;  it  began  to  be  rumored 
among  his  soldiers,  his  servants  gossiped  about  it. 
A  little  maid  in  his  home,  a  captive  out  of  the  land  of 
Israel,  had  ventured  to  say,  "Would  God  my  lord 
were  with  the  prophet  that  is  in  Samaria,  for  he 
would  recover  him  of  his  leprosy."  She  spake  bet- 
ter than  she  knew.  The  wife  of  Naaman  reported 
this  saying  to  her  husband  and  prevailed  upon  him 
to  visit  the  prophet.  It  is  our  present  purpose  to 
follow  him  on  that  journey,  and  to  observe  how  his 
pride  was  brought  low. 

He  is  just  setting  out.  There  is  a  stir  at  the  man- 
sion. Naaman  is  in  his  chariot;  the  outriders  are 
before  it;  a  retinue  of  soldiers  follows  after,  with  a 
company  of  slaves.  He  is  going  in  state,  so  as  to 
make  a  suitable  impression.  He  is  arrayed  as  be- 
comes a  great  captain,  and  he  takes  with  him  ten 
changes  of  raiment.  He  carries  ten  talents  of  sil- 
ver and  six  thousand  pieces  of  gold, — about  sixty 
thousand  dollars — a  most  generous  physician's  fee, — 


THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN.  281 

for  he  will  accept  nothing  without  pay.  Still  fur- 
ther, he  bears  a  letter  from  his  king,  Ben  -  hadad, 
addressed,  not  to  the  prophet — indeed  it  would  have 
been  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  Syrian  king  to  notice 
a  mere  prophet — but  to  Jehoram,  the  king  of  Israel. 
This  letter  is  couched  in  the  imperative  mood:  *'  Be- 
hold, I  send  herewith  Naaman  my  servant  to  thee, 
that  thou  mayest  recover  him  of  his  leprosy. "  Jehoram 
had  met  Ben-hadad  in  battle  and  knew  the  temper  of 
his  steel.     Let  him  fail  to  heal  Naaman  at  his  peril ! 

Thus  arrayed  in  worldly  pride,  the  great  captain 
sets  out  upon  his  journey;  plumes  waving,  armor 
glistening  in  the  sunlight,  the  procession  moves  on. 
His  devoted  wife  watches  his  departure  through  the 
lattice;  beside  her  stands  the  little  captive  maid,  her 
lips  moving  in  prayer  to  her  God. 

The  next  day  Naaman  presents  himself  at  the 
palace  of  Jehoram  with  his  letter.  The  king  trembles 
as  he  reads;  knowing  the  spirit  of  Ben-hadad,  he 
cries,  "Am  I  God,  to  kill  and  to  make  alive,  that  this 
man  doth  send  unto  me  to  recover  a  man  of  his 
leprosy?  See  how  he  seeketh  a  quarrel  against  me!  " 
He  rends  his  garments  in  token  of  dismay.  At  this 
juncture  a  messenger  arrives  from  Elisha,  saying, 
''Fear  not,  O  king,  send  Naaman  unto  me,  and  he 
shall  know  that  there  is  a  prophet  in  Israel." 

Now  the  cortege  of  Naaman  lines  up  before  the 
door  of  the  prophet's  humble  home.  The  captain 
has  no  intention  of  dismounting,  but  awaits  the 
prophet's  appearance.  The  delay  irritates  him.  A 
servant  appears.  Here  is  a  studied  affront,  which 
the  forthcoming  message  merely  aggravates : — "Go 
and  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and   thou  shalt  be 


282  THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN. 

clean."  What  wonder  that  Naaman  "was  wroth  "  ? 
Was  ever  such  discourtesy  put  upon  a  mighty  man  of 
valor?  To  the  Jordan  forsooth?  "  Are  not  Abana 
and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than  all  the 
waters  of  Israel?  "  Abana,  gushing  from  the  rugged 
side  of  Anti-Libanus,  spreading  over  the  beautiful 
glens,  then  bursting  through  a  gorge,  and  dividing 
itself  into  seven  crystal  streams.  And  Pharpar,  pure 
and  limpid,  called  Chrysorrhoas,  the  "River  of  Gold  "! 
What  is  Jordan  to  these  ?  shallow  and  turbid  Jordan, 
flowing  out  of  a  marsh  and  emptying  into  a  pool! 
Indeed,  there  is  something  admirable  in  Naaman's 
patriotic  indignation. 

"  Lives  there  a  man  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said, 
This  is  my  own,  my  native  land?" 

They  tell  of  the  Rhine  with  its  cliffs  and  castles; 
but  what  of  our  glorious  Hudson  ?  They  tell  of  the 
Thames;  but  what  of  our  "Father  of  Waters"  ? 

My  native  country,  thee, 
Land  of  the  noble  free. 

Thy  name  I  love  ; 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills  ; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

Like  that  above  ! 

But  worst  affront  of  all  was  the  injunction  to  bathe. 
To  bathe  seven  times!  It  seemed  like  a  studied 
attempt  to  make  sport  of  him. 

All  this  was  very  different  from  what  the  man  had 
expected:  "Behold,  I  thought,  He  will  surely  come 
out  to  me,  and  stand,  and  call  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord  his  God,  and  strike  his  hand  over  the  place, 


THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN.  283 

and  heal  me."  He  had  regarded  the  prophet  as  a 
necromancer, — one  likely  to  be  impressed  by  his 
pomp  and  circumstance, — had  supposed  that  he 
would  say,  *'  Presto!  "  and  perform  the  cure.  At  the 
center  of  this  imposing  scene,  he  himself  would  be  the 
observed  of  all  observers.  ''Go  to  the  Jordan,"  in- 
deed! This  was  not  at  all  according  to  the  program. 
There  would  be  no  eclat  in  such  a  performance.  The 
prophet  was  facetious,  was  making  a  jesting-stock  of 
him.  Little  wonder  that  he  "fell  into  a  rage." 
Doubtless  it  was  a  genuine  military  rage,  full  of 
oaths  and  imprecations.  But  the  prophet  knew  what 
was  best  for  this  mighty  man  of  valor:  he  must  be 
emptied  of  his  pride  before  God  could  help  him.  So 
must  you;  so  must  I. 

Thus  the  errand  of  Naaman  came  to  the  very 
verge  of  failure.  He  turned  to  his  charioteer  and 
said,  "Drive  to  Damascus;  we  will  reckon  with  this 
prophet  in  due  time."  His  leprosy  was  still  upon 
him;  pride  was  still  raging  in  his  heart.  The  prophet 
was  a  charlatan.  The  journey  to  Samaria  was  for 
naught. 

But  what  is  this  ?  A  conference  among  the  ser- 
vants; they  whisper  together.  One  of  them,  as 
spokesman,  draws  near  to  the  chariot  and  falls  upon 
his  knee.  "My  father,"  he  cries.  In  that  word  we 
are  introduced  to  a  better  side  of  Naaman's  character. 
His  servants  loved  him ;  on  occasion  they  might  ven- 
ture even  to  take  liberties  with  him.  They  did  not 
tremble  at  his  martial  aspect;  they  knew  that  under 
his  corselet  beat  a  kindly  heart,  and  that  back  of  his 
hot  temper  was  sound  reason.  But  what  will  this 
servant  say?     "My  father,  if  the  prophet  had  bid 


284  THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN. 

thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou  not  have 
done  it  ?  Wast  thou  not  ready  to  pay  him  ten  talents 
of  silver  and  six  thousand  pieces  of  gold?  How  much 
rather  then  wilt  thou  do  this  little  thing  that  he 
saith,  Wash  and  be  clean"?  There  is  something  in 
that.  Naaman  yields  to  his  sober  second  thought. 
*' Drive  to  the  Jordan!"  he  cries;  "it  can  do  no 
harm.  We  have  come  so  far;  let  us  go  through 
with  it." 

And  here  they  are  at  the  bank  of  Jordan.  He  lays 
aside  his  armor,  puts  off  his  outer  garment,  steps 
down  into  the  river.  He  dips  himself  in  the  water 
once,  twice,  thrice;  then  turns  to  see  his  servants 
watching  from  the  bank.  He  is  indeed  the  "observed 
of  all  observers  ",  but  not  as  he  had  thought.  Four 
times,  five,  six,  and  still  no  change!  Why  should 
he  thus  be  made  a  gazingstock  for  naught  ?  He  will 
go  no  further  with  the  dumb  show.  "Dip  again, 
Master,"  cry  his  servants,  "once  more,  once  more!  " 
He  dips  the  seventh  time;  lifts  his  hand  to  his  fore- 
head as  he  emerges  from  the  water;  and  a  cry  comes 
from  the  bank,  "Master,  the  white  scall  is  gone  !" 
Behold,  his  flesh  is  become  again  like  the  flesh  of  a 
little  child. 

His  leprosy  was  gone.  More  yet,  his  pride  was 
gone;  something  better  had  come  to  supplant  it.  As 
he  entered  his  chariot  there  was  a  conflict  of  strange 
emotions  within  him. 

"Where  now.  Master?"  asked  his  charioteer. 
"To  Damascus  ? " 

"Nay;  back  to  Samaria."  It  was  out  of  his  way, 
indeed;  but  a  true  man  must  make  his  just  acknowl- 
edgments. 


THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN.  285 

And  as  they  rode,  he  pondered.  He  had  been  a 
worshiper  of  Rimmon.  But  could  Rimmon  heal 
him  ?  The  power  that  had  been  manifest  upon  him 
must  be  the  power  of  the  true  God. 

He  is  again  at  the  prophet's  door.  He  descends 
from  his  chariot  with  a  low  obeisance.  Elisha  sends 
no  servant  now,  but  comes  forth  himself  to  greet 
him. 

"Now  I  know,"  says  Naaman,  "that  there  is  no 
God  in  all  the  earth  but  the  God  of  Israel."  The 
passing  of  his  leprosy  was  the  slightest  change  in 
this  man.  He  had  changed  his  God.  It  was  right 
that  he  should  confess  it. 

"Take,  therefore,  a  blessing  of  thy  servant,"  he 
continues.  His  attendants  are  unloading  the  strong 
boxes. 

"  As  the  Lord  liveth,"  replies  the  prophet,  "  I  will 
receive  nothing  from  thee."  The  man  must  be 
taught  that  the  God  of  Israel  is  not  a  merchant,  that 
he  should  sell  his  commodities,  but  a  Giver,  a  great 
Giver,  a  royal  Giver,  whose  gifts  are  without  money 
and  without  price. 

"Give,  then,  to  thy  servant  two  mules'  burden  of 
earth,  that  I  may  build  an  altar  on  holy  ground ;  for 
thy  servant  henceforth  will  sacrifice  unto  none  other 
but  the  true  God." 

The  request  is  granted,  and,  making  his  grateful 
farewells,  the  Syrian  captain  sets  forth.  But  a  look 
of  perplexity  gathers  on  his  brow.  He  turns  back, 
A  question  of  grave  importance  has  occurred  to  him: 
"The  Lord  pardon  thy  servant,"  he  says,  "for  this 
thing;  but  what  shall  I  do  ?  When  my  master  goeth 
unto  the  house  of  Rimmon  to  worship  there,  he  lean- 


286  THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN. 

eth  on  my  hand ;  and  when  he  boweth,  I  also  have 
been  wont  to  bow.     What  now  shall  I  do  ?  " 

It  was  a  hard  question.  "Go  in  peace,"  said  the 
prophet;  that  is,  simply,  "Farewell."  He  must  set- 
tle the  problem  for  himself.  He  has  henceforth  a 
conscience  to  reckon  with.  This  is  the  first  evidence 
of  regeneration.  No  sooner  does  a  man  begin  the 
better  life  than  he  confronts  great  questions  which 
before  were  of  little  moment  to  him.  "Go  in  peace; 
the  Lord  will  direct  thee;  this  is  a  matter  to  be  de- 
termined between  thee  and  God." 

In  due  time  Naaman  reached  his  home.  His  faith- 
ful wife,  awaiting  him,  saw  her  lord's  company  as 
they  drew  nigh  on  the  Lebanon  road ;  her  heart  was 
beating  fast  in  suspense;  she  shaded  her  eyes  to  see 
whether  he  were  a  leper  still,  but  his  helmet  hid  his 
face.  As  he,  at  length,  descended  from  the  chariot, 
he  lifted  his  visor, — the  white  scall  was  gone!  We 
maybe  sure  she  sobbed  forth  her  joy  in  her  husband's 
arms.  And  as  for  the  little  captive  maid  ?  No  doubt 
they  overlooked  her;  but  she  had  done,  by  her  timely 
word,  what  Ben-hadad  and  Jehoram  could  not  do. 
The  mouse  had  gnawed  the  lion  out  of  his  net.  Such 
deeds  are  their  own  reward.  She  saw  the  great  captain 
healed  of  his  infirmity  and  quietly  thanked  her  God. 

Here  the  curtain  falls.  Naaman  had  many  mar- 
velous things  to  tell  his  wife  that  day.  "We  have 
worshiped  Rimmon,"  he  said,  "but  Jehovah  alone  is 
God."  In  the  court  of  his  mansion  he  sprinkled  the 
two  mules'  burden  of  earth  and  reared  an  altar.  A 
lamb  was  laid  upon  it  and  the  captain  and  his  wife 
knelt  in  worship.  In  the  light  of  that  sacrifice  we 
draw  our  practical  lessons: 


THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN.  287 

1.  Sin  is  leprosy;  an  incurable  dis-ease.  The  scall 
is  in  all  flesh.  All  men  are  conscious  of  it,  and 
equally  conscious  that  its  penalty  is  spiritual  and 
eternal  death. 

2.  There  is  a  God  in  Israel.  In  healing  leprosy 
he  gives  token  of  his  power  to  forgive  sin.  Of  this 
we  have  definite  assurance  in  the  gospel  of  his  well- 
beloved  Son.  A  fountain  is  opened  at  Calvary  for 
all  uncleanness.  This  stream  has  healing  power 
beyond  all  the  rivers  of  Damascus.  "Come  now, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  let  us  reason  together:  Though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as 
snow ;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be 
as  wool." 

3.  Our  pride  alone  stands  between  our  sins  and 
God.  Pride  is  buttressed  by  prejudice.  "I  thought," 
said  Naaman.  So  say  we,  as  we  turn  our  eyes  toward 
the  cross.  "  Behold,  I  thought  my  penance  would 
atone  for  sin.  I  thought  to  earn  my  way  to  heaven 
by  good  works.  I  thought  by  outward  forms  and 
ceremonies  to  commend  myself  to  God."  "  I  thought! 
I  thought!  "  God  save  us  from  such  preconceptions. 
The  question  is  not  what  we  think,  but  what  God 
thinks  as  to  this  matter  of  the  endless  life.  "  I  will 
not"  has  slain  its  thousands,  but  "I  thought",  its 
tens  of  thousands,  God's  thoughts  are  not  as  our 
thoughts,  nor  his  ways  as  our  ways.  His  thought  is 
expressed  in  the  announcement,  "God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life." 

His  thought  as  expressed  in  the  cross  is  simplicity 
itself.     Yet  this  very  simplicity  is  an  offense  unto  us. 


265  THE    PRIDE    OF    NAAMAN. 

Christ  crucified  is  ''foolishness  to  the  Greek,  and  to 
the  Jew  a  stumbling  block;  but  to  them  that  are 
saved,  it  is  the  wisdom  and  the  power  of  God. "  Here 
is  our  only  hope  of  salvation.  Let  us  put  away  pride 
and  prejudice  and  address  ourselves  to  the  saving 
truth  as  God  hath  revealed  it.  "He  resisteth  the 
proud,  but  giveth  grace  to  the  humble."  He  offers 
eternal  life  on  the  sole  condition  of  faith  in  the  aton- 
ing blood  of  his  Son.  The  gift  is  without  money  and 
without  price.  Bow  low,  my  friend,  to  receive  it. 
Put  away  thy  thought;  let  God  have  his  way  with 
thee.  If  you  and  I  are  ever  saved,  it  will  be  because 
we  come  to  Christ  as  Wesley  did,  saying, 

*'  I'm  a  poor  sinner  and  nothing  at  all ; 
But  Jesus  Christ  is  my  all  in  all." 


THE  HANDS  OF  lESUS. 

"  And  when  he  had  thus  spoken.^e  showed  them  his  hands."— Luke  24,  40. 

The  **Art  of  Palmistry"  is  compounded  of  one 
grain  of  truth  and  ninety-nine  of  artifice;  the  only 
doubt  being  as  to  the  single  grain.  The  father  of  the 
so-called  "Art"  in  its  modern  form  was  Lavater,  an 
eccentric  priest.  The  work  assigned  to  him,  as  a 
candidate  for  holy  orders,  was  to  stand  at  the  door- 
way of  the  chapel,  holding  a  velvet  bag  for  offerings. 
His  eyes  were  downcast,  in  pursuance  of  his  vow  of 
humility ;  thus  he  became  perforce  a  close  observer 
of  hands.  It  was  indeed  a  matter  of  little  skill  to  read 
the  character  of  the  giver  in  this  way.  A  hand  of 
velvet,  plump  and  unctuous,  told  unmistakably  of 
worldly  ease.  A  hard,  horny  hand  was  indicative  of 
honest  toil.  A  thin  hand,  armed  with  talons,  said, 
*'Shylock  is  casting  in  an  alms."  It  was  but  clever 
guesswork. 

We  need  no  conjurer's  art  or  artifice  for  our  present 
task.  We  are  to  contemplate  the  hands  of  Jesus. 
The  lessons  they  teach  are  plain  and  simple  and  for 
practical  uses. 

Observe^  first^ — They  were  a  ?nan's  hands.  The  cruci- 
fixion was  over.  The  disciples  were  met  in  the  upper 
room;    and  the  doors  were    shut    "for   fear   of   the 

(289)      ,  ' 


290  THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS. 

Jews."  There  were  rumors  that  Jesus  had  risen  from 
the  dead.  In  this  company  were  certain  women,  who 
said  that  they  had  seen  him.  But  some  doubted. 
On  a  sudden  he  stood  among  them,  saying,  "Peace 
be  unto  you."  They  were  dazed,  terrified,  sup- 
posing it  to  be  his  disembodied  spirit.  Then 
he  said,  "  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I 
myself;  handle  me  and  see;  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh 
and  bones."  Thus  they  were  convinced  that  it  was 
the  very  Jesus  who  had  lived  and  walked  among 
them. 

He  was,  on  earth,  a  veritable  man.  He  took  our 
nature — "not  the  nature  of  angels,  but  of  men."  A 
sect  arose  called  DocetcR^  who,  in  order  to  evade  the 
difficulties  of  the  incarnation,  held  that  the  body  of 
Jesus  was  a  phantasm  ;  his  alleged  humanity  was  an 
optical  illusion.  The  truth,  however,  is  that  he  was 
flesh  of  our  flesh,  our  real  kinsman,  being  in  all 
points  such  as  we  are,  only  without  sin. 

And  so  he  remains  forever.  Let  us  emphasize  this 
fact.  The  incarnation  was  not  a  temporary  expedient. 
In  the  theanthropic  person  of  Jesus  there  was  a  per- 
fect union  of  Godhood  with  humanity.  When  he 
came  from  heaven  to  earth  he  did  not  empty  himself 
of  his  godhood ;  nor  when  he  returned  from  earth  to 
heaven  did  he  lay  aside  his  manhood.  As  he  ascended 
from  Olivet  his  fleshly  body  was  sublimated,  ethereal- 
ized,  adjusted  to  the  necessities  of  the  spiritual  world ; 
but  that  fleshly  body  furnished  the  seed  (i  Cor.  xv. 
35-57)  or  material  for  his  spiritual  body;  so  that  he 
abides  through  all  eternity  the  God-man.  Here  is 
infinite  comfort:  he  remains  the  first  born  among 
many  brethren,  the  Elder  Brother  of  us  all.      The  true 


THE    HANDS   OF    JESUS.  291 

statement  of  this  doctrine,  as  given  in  one  of  our  ven- 
erable symbols,  is  this:  "The  Eternal  Son  of  God 
became  man  by  taking  to  himself  a  true  body  and  a 
reasonable  soul,  and  so  was  and  continues  to  be  God 
and  Man  in  two  distinct  natures  and  one  person 
forever.'* 

Second, — They  were  pure  hands.  "Who  shall  ascend 
unto  the  hill  of  the  Lord  ?  or,  who  shall  stand  in  his 
holy  place  ?  He  that  hath  clean  hands  and  a  pure 
heart;  who  hath  not  lifted  up  his  soul  to  vanity  nor 
sworn  deceitfully. "  Where  shall  we  find  such  an  one  ? 
Is  it  you  ?  Is  it  any  of  your  friends  or  acquaintance  ? 
Nay,  there  is  no  difference;  all  have  sinned.  There 
is  none  that  doeth  good;  no,  not  one.  "Will  all 
great  Neptune's  ocean  wash  this  blood  clean  from  my 
hands  ? "  Jesus  claimed  an  absolute  sinlessness.  Here 
is  his  challenge:  "Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of 
sin  ?"  Of  all  the  accusations  brought  against  him, 
not  one  impeached  the  spotless  purity  of  his  charac- 
ter and  life. 

And  his  claim  was  strangely  conceded.  The  man 
who  betrayed  him  returned  to  the  hall  Gazith,  where 
he  had  received  the  price  of  treachery,  and  casting 
down  the  pieces  of  silver  before  the  rabbis  cried,  "  I 
have  betrayed  innocent  blood!" — The  man  who  sat 
in  judgment  over  him  and  sentenced  him  to  death 
brought  him  out  to  Gabbatha,  the  place  of  Judgment, 
and,  in  sight  of  the  assembled  multitude,  said,  "I 
find  no  fault  in  him  at  all." — The  centurion  who  had 
charge  of  his  execution,  looked  toward  the  cross  when 
the  tragedy  was  over,  and  testified,  "Verily,  this 
was  a  righteous  man."  Were  ever  such  tributes  paid 
to  the  virtue  of  another  ?     Some  have,  indeed,  claimed 


292  THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS. 

perfection;  but  the  world  has  laughed  them  to  scorn. 
The  world  has  lauded  others  for  their  perfection  ;  but 
they  have  repudiated  it.  In  Christ  alone  the  claim 
and  the  testimony  are  united.      Behold  the  Man! 

Third,— They  were  callous  hands.  What  went  ye  out 
for  to  see  ?  A  man  with  soft,  white  hands  ?  Nay ; 
such  are  in  king's  palaces  and  in  the  mansions  of 
those  who  can  live  without  labor;  or  else  in  the 
market-places  and  at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  where 
idlers  say,  ' '  The  world  owes  me  a  living. "  But  Christ 
belonged  to  the  Third  Estate,  the  honorable  company 
of  working  men.  He  was  a  man  of  the  people,  an 
average  man.  It  is  written  of  Buddha  that,  at  the 
beginning  of  his  ministry,  he  left  his  palace  and  took 
his  place  under  the  sacred  Bo-tree  to  meditate.  On 
the  contrary,  Jesus  entered  a  carpenter-shop  and  be- 
came the  brother  of  all  who  give  themselves  to  labor 
as  the  fulfillment  of  the  primal  law. 

It  was  now  three  years  since  he  had  crossed  the 
threshold  of  his  shop  in  Nazareth  to  engage  in  the 
distinctive  work  of  his  ministry.  But  hands  that 
have  once  known  handicraft  are  marked  forever  with 
its  imprint.  Once  a  toiler,  always  a  toiler.  Our 
Lord  in  heaven  is  as  truly  the  sympathetic  Friend 
of  workingmen  as  when  he  made  plows  for  the 
farmers  of  Galilee  and  mended  the  furniture  of  the 
people  of  Nazareth. 

The  great  problem,  destined  to  be  the  last  which 
civilization  shall  solve,  is  that  between  capital  and 
labor.  We  are  addressing  ourselves  to  its  solution 
by  such  devices  as  arbitration.  So  far,  so  good.  But 
who  shall  be  arbitrator  ?  Pope,  or  bishop,  or  arch- 
bishop ?     Nay,  call  in  the  Lord  and  Master  of  them 


THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS.  293 

all.  It  is  greatly  to  be  feared,  however,  that  an  ob- 
jection would  be  entered  against  him  on  the  ground 
of  probable  bias.  His  sleeves  were  not  of  lawn. 
Nevertheless  it  remains  for  him  to  solve  the  problem. 
All  classes  must  be  blended,  all  middle  walls  of  sepa- 
ration broken  down,  by  the  application  of  his  Golden 
Rule:  ''Do  unto  others  as  ye  would  have  them  do 
unto  you." 

Fourth^ — They  were  strong  hands.  Not  strong  with 
a  mere  knotted  muscularity,  like  those  of  an  athlete, 
disciplined  to  strike  a  blow;  but  hands  that  spoke  of 
courage  and  authority,  of  a  perfect  physical  and 
moral  symmetry. 

The  right  hand  of  Jesus  is  the  hand  of  judgment. 
It  is  written,  "His  fan  is  in  his  hand  and  he  will 
thoroughly  purge  his  floor;  he  will  gather  the  wheat 
into  his  garners,  and  burn  up  the  chaff  with  un- 
quenchable fire."  This  is  the  hand  that  wrote  in 
Belshazzar's  hall,  '  Mene^  Tekel^''  Weighed  and  found 
wanting! 

This  right  hand  is  the  hand  of  a  King.  It  holds 
the  scepter  of  heaven  and  earth.  His  enemies  put  an 
impotent  reed  into  it,  and  paraded  before  him  with 
mock  obeisance,  crying,  "Hail,  OKing!"  They 
shall  see  him  reigning  in  light  and  glory  unapproach- 
able. His  scepter  is  a  right  scepter;  his  dominion  is 
for  ever  and  ever. 

This  right  hand  of  Jesus  is  the  hand  of  salvation. 
It  can  pluck  a  sinner  from  the  depths.  It  made  the 
worlds  and  spun  them  out  upon  their  orbits  in  in- 
finite space ;  a  work  so  great  that  in  celebration  of  it 
the  morning  stars  sang  together  and  all  the  sons  of 
God  shouted  for  joy.     But  that  was  not  his  greatest 


294  THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS. 

work;  indeed,  it  was  no  more  for  him  to  frame  the 
worlds  than  for  a  lad  to  blow  bubbles  into  the  air. 
His  master-work  is  Redemption.  For  this  he  is  rep- 
resented as  '*  making  bare  his  arm,"  like  a  workman 
about  to  address  himself  to  a  tremendous  task. 

"  'Twas  great  to  call  a  world  from  naught, 
'Tis  greater  to  redeem." 

Fifth^ — They  ivere  f?'iendly  haiids^  the  kindest  and 
most  helpful.  They  were  ever  employed  in  doing 
good. 

On  one  occasion  he  called  little  children  to  him, 
laid  his  hands  upon  them  and  blessed  them,  saying, 
''  Suffer  them  to  come  unto  me."  No  such  record  is 
made  of  any  other  of  the  world's  illustrious  teachers. 
He  loved  children;  he  recognized  the  truth,  "The 
child  is  father  of  the  man." 

On  another  occasion  a  leper  cried,  "Lord,  if  thou 
wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean!  "  Jesus  approached 
him. — Take  heed,  good  Rabbi,  lest  thou  come 
too  near!  Here  is  infection;  here  is  ceremonial  un- 
cleanness. — He  put  forth  his  hand  and  touched 
him,  saying,  "I  will;  be  thou  clean!"  This  man 
was  so  pure  that  soul  and  body  alike  were  proof 
against  defilement.  The  evil  had  no  part  in 
him. 

On  another  occasion  a  demoniac  boy  was  brought 
for  healing.  "Thou  dumb  and  deaf  spirit,"  he 
cried,  "come  forth!  "  The  lad,  rent  by  the  parting 
demon,  fell  as  dead.  And  Jesus  "  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  lifted  him  up  and  he  arose."  Such  is  his 
custom.  How  many  a  soul,  afflicted  once  by  sin  and 
trouble,  can  say,  "He  took  me  by  the  hand,  he 
lifted  me  up!  " 


THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS.  295 

The  Evangelist  in  Patmos  saw  him  in  the  midst  of 
the  golden  candlesticks,  clothed  with  a  garment  of 
authority,  girt  with  a  golden  girdle,  his  face  shining 
like  the  sun.  ''  And  when  I  saw^  him,"  he  writes,  "  I 
fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  Then  he  laid  his  right  hand 
upon  me,  saying,  'Fear  not!'"  John  knew  the 
voice;  he  knew  the  touch  of  that  right  hand.  "Fear 
not  I  "  The  trouble  of  his  soul  was  gone.  Here  w^as 
the  Friend  on  whose  bosom  he  had  pillowed  his 
head  in  former  days. 

Sixt/i,  —  T/iey  were  wounded  hands.  It  w^as  thus 
that  the  prophet  Zechariah  saw  him  five  hundred 
years  before  his  Advent.  In  amazement  he  asked, 
"What  are  these  wounds  in  thy  hands?  "  The  vision 
answered,  "  They  are  those  wath  which  I  w^as  wounded 
in  the  house  of  my  friends."  Let  us  thrust  our  fin- 
gers into  these  nail-prints  and  be  not  faithless  but 
believing.  They  have  a  wonderful  story  to  tell. 
They  are  eloquent  of  God's  love;  he  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son  to  suffer 
and  die  for  it. — They  are  eloquent  of  God's  justice; 
as  it  is  written,  "Awake,  O  sword,  against  my  fel- 
low." He  so  hated  sin  that,  being  unable  in  the 
nature  of  the  case  to  overlook  it,  he  must  needs  send 
his  w^ell-beloved  to  expiate  it  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree. — They  are  eloquent  of  God's  wisdom;  in  all 
the  religions  of  the  world  there  is  no  other  plan  of 
deliverance  from  the  penalty  of  a  misspent  life.  The 
blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth;  and  without  the  shedding 
of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sin. — They  are 
eloquent  of  God's  power;  by  these  wounds  we  are 
given  to  believe  that  he  is  able  to  save  even  to  the 
uttermost.      These  hands   were   nailed   to  the   cross; 


296  THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS. 

but  even  there  they  did  not  lose  their  cunning.  A 
thief  in  penitence  cried  out,  ''Remember  me!"  and 
Jesus  saved  him. 

He  saved  the  dying  thief  !  The  world  objects: 
"Shall  a  malefactor,  who  has  passed  his  years  in 
crime,  be  carried  to  heaven  in  articulo  itwrtisV  O, 
mean  and  grudging  world  !  Cruel,  implacable  world  ! 
Narrow,  bigoted  world,  thus  to  deny  a  poor  sinner 
his  only  chance.  Now  or  never  it  must  be.  In  an 
hour  this  thief  will  be  in  eternity,  his  character  fixed, 
and  repentance  forever  too  late.  Blessed  be  God  for 
his  grace;  free  grace  and  unto  the  uttermost!  By 
the  power  of  his  pierced  hands  let  it  be  known  and 
preached  that  he  rescues  thieves  and  Magdalenes. 
Nothing  is  too  hard  for  him. 

Seventh^  —  They  were  uplifted  hands.  He  stood  in  the 
midst  of  his  disciples  and  blessed  them,  saying,  "Peace 
be  unto  you."  The  last  glimpse  they  caught  of  him, 
as  he  was  received  by  the  opening  heavens,  he  was 
still  stretching  out  his  hands  in  benediction  over 
them. 

Better  still,  they  are  uplifted  in  intercession  for  us. 
The  high  priest,  on  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement, 
with  the  names  of  the  tribes  written  on  his  breast, 
entered  the  Holy  of  Holies  to  sprinkle  the  mercy- 
seat  with  blood  and  plead  for  the  pardon  of  the 
people's  sin.  So  Christ  has  entered  into  the  holiest 
by  a  new  and  living  way.  Our  names  are  written 
upon  his  hands,  close  to  the  nail-prints.  Thus  he 
makes  an  all-prevailing  plea:  "  O  Father,  these  have 
sinned ;  but  I  have  made  atonement  for  them.  Be- 
hold these  wounds  in  my  hands!  Let  these  guilty 
ones  enter  into  life  for  my  sake."     And  from  all  the 


THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS.  297 

mercy-seats,  the  sanctuaries,  the  trysting-places  of 
earth,  is  heard  an  echo  of  that  intercession,  "For 
Jesus'  sake." 

Arise,  my  soul,  arise, 

Shake  off  thy  guilty  fears  ; 
The  bleeding  Sacrifice 

In  my  behalf  appears; 
Before  the  throne  my  Surety  stands 
My  name  is  written  on  his  hands. 

Five  bleeding  wounds  he  bears, 

Received  on  Calvary  ; 
They  pour  effectual  prayers. 

They  strongly  plead  for  me; — 
Forgive  him,  O  forgive,  they  cry, 
Nor  let  that  ransom'd  sinner  die. 

Finally^ — They  are  outstretched  hands.  He  stands  in 
an  attitude  of  invitation.  The  gospel  is  in  this  word, 
"Come."  "Ho,  everyone  that  thirsteth,  come," — 
"Come  now,  saith  the  Lord,  let  us  reason  together; 
though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white 
as  snow. " — "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." — "The  Spirit 
and  the  Bride  say.  Come;  and  let  him  that  is  athirst, 
come;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of 
life  freely." — Come!  Come!   Come! 

His  hands  are  stretched  out  still.  O  infinite  pa- 
tience! "All  the  day  long  have  I  stretched  forth  my 
hands  unto  a  disobedient  and  gainsaying  people." 
There  is  still  opportunity  of  closing  in  with  his  over- 
tures of  mercy.  But  he  will  not  save  us  in  spite  of  our- 
selves. In  this  he  pays  tribute  to  the  dignity  of  our 
manhood.  We  are  made  in  the  likeness  of  God,  with 
sovereign  wills.     We  can  yield  or  resist.      If  he  draws 


298  THE    HANDS    OF    JESUS. 

US,  it  must  be  ''  with  the  cords  of  a  man."  It  takes 
two  to  make  a  covenant.  Faith  is  the  condition  of 
salvation.  His  arm  has  been  made  bare  for  us.  His 
right  hand  is  reached  from  heaven  to  save  us.     Grasp 

it,  and  enter  into  life  ? 


THE  STRENGTH  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN.* 

"  I  have  written  unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  are  strong,  and  the  word 
of  God  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  have  overcome  the  wicked  one." — I.  John,  2,  14. 

I  bring  a  message  from  a  centenarian.  John  was  a 
hundred  years  old  when  he  wrote  this  letter.  ''  Let 
the  multitude  oFyears  show  wisdom."  His  life  cov- 
vered  the  world's  most  eventful  century.  His  fellow- 
apostles  had  been  led,  one  by  one,  to  the  stake,  the 
headsman's  block  or  the  amphitheatre;  and  he  alone 
was  left.  He  had  outlived  twelve  emperors;  had 
been  haled  before  Nero  and  escaped  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  lion;  had  seen  Titus  lay  siege  to  Jerusalem  and 
reduce  it,  rearing  crosses  on  the  surrounding  hills  in 
awful  fulfillment  of  the  prophetic  malediction,  "His 
blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children !  "  He^had  now  re- 
turned to  Ephesus  from  his  exile,  old  and  feeble. 
The  candle  was  slowly  burning  to  its  socket. 
(I./** I  write  unto  yo\i^  jMUng  men.''  In  the  heart 
of  the  aged  evangelist  there  was  a  warm  place  for 
young  men.  It  is  related  of  him  in  one  of  the 
early  legends,  that  once  he  went  out  from  Ephesus 
along    a    dangerous    road.        In    the    depth    of    tie 

*This  sermon  was  preached  Sunday,  May  ist,  1898,  on  the  tenth  anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and  Philip. 

(299) 


300  THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN. 

forest  he  paused  and  listened,  leaning  on  his  staff.  In 
the  distance  was  heard  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs  and 
then  the  clang  of  steel.  He  should  have  been  afraid, 
but  his  face  was  lit  with  joyful  expectancy.  A  mo- 
ment later  the  robbers  were  upon  him.  He  smiled  a 
kindly  greeting,  saying,  ''Take  me  to  your  captain." 
They  led  him  to  an  open  space.  There  sat  on  a  horse 
a  young  man  bravely  equipped  with  helmet  and 
breastplate.  Then  a  strange  thing  happened.  At 
sight  of  this  old  man  the  robber  chief  uttered  a  cry  of 
mingled  pain  and  terror,  threw  himself  from  his 
horse,  and  fell  prostrate  before  him.  The  evangelist 
lifted  him  to  his  feet,  saying,  "My  son,  if_any^  man 
sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  even  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous."  They  had  last  met  at  the 
sacramental  altar  at  Ephesus.  The  youth  had  broken 
his  vow;  had  mingled  in  the  merry  dance  of  Aphro- 
dite around  the  midsummer  fires;  had  cast  restraint 
to  the  winds.  But  here  was  his  reclamation.  He 
cast  away  sword  and  helmet  and  returned  with  John 
to  Ephesus,  a  trophy  of  God's  redeeming  grace. 

fll.  "I  write  unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  are 
strong.''  There  is  profound  pathos  here.  I  see  the 
evangelist  as  he  writes;  his  eyes  are  dim,  his  hands 
tremulous;  the  characters  are  wayward  and  irregu- 
lar. Time  was  when  he  wrote  a  clear,  bold  hand. 
Time  was  when  he  ventured  forth  with  his  comrades 
on  the  boisterous  lake,  rejoicing  in  the  whistling 
wind,  the  bellying  sail,  the  creaking  mast.  Time  was 
when  he  stood  by  his  brethren  in  the  forefront  of 
Christian  service,  his  eye  kindling  at  the  thought  of 
dangerous  enterprise.      Now  his   blood    runs   slow; 


THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN.  30I 

'his  manly  voice,  turning  again  towards  childish 
treble,  pipes  and  whistles  in  his  sound."  The  grass- 
hopper is  a  burden.  He  shakes  himself,  like  Samson, 
to  find  that  his  locks  are  shorn.  The  infirmities  of 
age  are  upon  him. 

And  there  is  so  much  to  be  done!  The  world  is 
bright  with  promise.  Doors  are  opening  on  every 
hand.  The  followers  of  Christ  are  multiplying.  The 
Roman  eagle  has  begun  to  build  its  nest  in  the  cleft 
of  the  Rock  of  Ages.  O  for  youth  and  strength  and 
courage  to  mingle  in  the  stirring  events  of  history! 
It  is  as  if  John  said,  *'  Young  man,  know  your  privi- 
lege. The  future  calls  as  with  beckoning  hands. 
The  fields  are  yellow  unto  the  harvest.  Thrust  in  the 
sickle  and  reap.  Be  eager,  be  ambitious.  Follow 
your  Leader  to  the  high  places  of  responsibility  and 
usefulness.      Use  your  strength  for  God  !  " 

,  What  is  the  strength  here  referred  to?  '  Not  physical ^ 
surely.  Ask  the  average  boy,  Who  was  the  great- 
est man?  "  and  he  will  answer,  "Samson,  who  rent 
asunder  the  jaws  of  a  lion  as  if  it  had  been  a  kid ; 
who  carried  away  the  great  gates  of  Gaza  to  the  hill- 
top ;  who  laid  his  hands  upon  the  columns  of  Dagon's 
temple  and  brought  the  great  fabric  rattling  down 
in  ruin  about  him."  Or  ask,  "Who  is  the  leading 
man  at  college?"  and  the  lad  will  answer,  "The 
captain  of  the  'Varsity  crew."  But  give  him  time 
and  he  will  revise  his  Judgment.  He  will  learn  that 
physical  strength  alone  goes  for  little  in  the  earnest 
world.  The  glory  of  the  college  athlete,  if  it  be 
alone,  soon  lapses  into  desuetude.  "Bodily  exercise 
profiteth  little."  ....  i^-Or,  did  John  refer  to  mon- 


302  THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN. 

etaryjtrength ?  You  are  ambitious,  mayhap,  to  be  *'a 
young  Napoleon  of  finance."  You  mean  to  win  a 
fortune.  Suppose  you  succeed?  "  We  brought  noth- 
ing into  this  world  and  it  is  certain  we  can  carry 
nothing  out."  This  is  but  a  transient  and  superficial 
sort  of  strength  at  best.  "A  man's  life  consisteth 
not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which  he  pos- 
^  sesseth."  A^ child  who  wearies  himself  in  chasing  a 
butterfly,  ends  by  brushing  a  little  yellow  dust  from 
his  fingers.      "So,  also,  shall  the  rich  man  fade  away 

in  his  ways." Or  is  the  reference    to   that 

spectacular  power  which  comes  from  living  in  the  public 
eye?  You  covet  a  little  brief  authority,  But  is  it 
worth  while?  Louis  XIV.,  as  he  lay  dying,  called 
the  Dauphin  to  his  bedside  and  said,    "My  son,    I 

V  might  have  lived  a  better  life;  profit  by  my  errors; 
and  remember  this:  kings  die  like  other  men."  .   .   .   . 

,  Or  is  the  reference  to  intellectual  strength  ?  It  is  a  true 
saying,  "Knowledge  is^ower. "  Every  time  a  boy 
learns  a  lesson,  he  generates  force  and  adds  to  the 
possibilities  of  his  personal  usefulness.  But  "  knowl- 
edge ceaseth."  The  valedictorian  of  my  class,  dear 
fellow,  broke  down  under  his  mental  exertions,  before 
he  had  fully  entered  upon  life's  responsibilities,  and 
died  in  an  asylum.  It  is  a  true  saying,  "  Much  study  is 
a  weariness  of  the  flesh."  And  when  we  have  learned 
our  utmost,  it  still  remains  that  "  the  wisdom  of  man 
is  foolishness  with  God."  ....  No;  the  strength 
which  the  evangelist  had  in  mind  was  beyond  and 
above  all  these.  //  was  moral  strength^  or  character. 
The  word  itself  is  significant.  The  original  meaning 
of  character  is  a  stamp  or  graving  tool;  that  which 


THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN.  303 

makes  an  impression.  Our  true  strength  or  moral 
value  is  not  to  be  measured  by  natural  gifts  and 
endowments,  but  by  what  we  are  and  what  we  do. 
In  12^8,  when  our  country  was  facing  the  possibility 
of  war  with  France,  the  President  wrote  to  Wash- 
ington at  Mount  Vernon,  ' '  We  must  have  your  name ; 
it  will  be  of  more  value  to  us  than  a  standing  army." 

How  shall  we  estimate  the  importance  of  a  man  ? 
We  cannot  weigh  him,  as  we  do  beef  cattle,  on  a 
platform  scale.  Put  him  there,  if  you  please,  as  so 
much  avoirdupois;  fill  his  pockets  with  gold;  place  a 
jeweled  crown  on  his  head;  fill  his  hands  with  books 
and  parchments;  still  you  are  not  weighing  the  man. 
What  of  his  faith,  his  virtue,  his  high  ambition  and 
noble  aspiration  ?  These  and  kindred  graces  and 
attributes  go  to  make  character;  and  character  is  the 
Archimedean  lever  which  lifts  the  world. 

Ill,  Whence  comes  this  power?  The  apostle  tells 
us, — from  ''the  word  of  God."  Here  is  the  secret  of 
influence.  The  strongest  man  in  the  world  is  the 
best  Bible-Christian  ;  he  who  most  sincerely  believes 
the  Book  and  most  consistently  lives  up  to  it. 

I  confess  to  an  utter  weariness  of  Biblical  contro- 
versy. For  twenty  years  the  Bible  has  been  practi- 
cally a  closed  book;  yet  we  boast  of  living  in  an  age 
of  Bible  study.  We  have  been  studying  about  the 
Bible;  about  its  age  and  authorship;  about  its  chron- 
ology and  style  and  hypothetical  construction;  all 
about  the  outside  of  it.  Is  it  not  time,  in  the  name 
of  the  living  God  who  inspired  it,  to  open  this  vener- 
able book  and  learn  its  contents?  If  we  do  not 
believe  it,  that  ends  the  matter;  if  we  do,  then  let  us 


304  THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN. 

rest  awhile  from  noisy  strife  and  read  it.  For  out  of 
this  volume  are  the  issues  of  eternal  life  and  death. 
*' Search  the  Scriptures,"  said  the  Master,  "for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  these  are  they 
which  testify  of  me." 

;  It  is  from  these  Scriptures  that  we  derive  our  views 
of  spiritual  truth.  The  business  of  all  earnest  men  is 
to  have  definite  convictions  as  to  the  great  verities. 
A  lad  of  sixteen  recently  said  in  my  hearing,  "I  am 
^  an  agnostic."  He  probably  did  not  even  know  the 
meaning  of  the  word.  An  agnostic  is  one  who  knows 
nothing  and  is  proud  of  it.  We  are  living  in  a  time 
that  calls  for  vertebrates;  for  men  who  can  stand 
erect  on  their  two  feet,  with  their  faces  toward  heaven 
and  say  in  a  tone  of  utmost  conviction,  *'I  believe." 
Be  anything,  my  friend,  rather  than  an  agnostic. 
Be  an  atheist;  be  an  infidel;  be  something.  Know 
where  you  stand.  If  you  are  "an  honest  doubter," 
go  to  God's  oracles  as  thirsty  men  to  a  spring  of  liv- 
ing water.  Hear  what  they  have  to  say  of  God  and 
duty  and  immortality.  These  are  the  postulates  of 
life.  Believe  them  and  be  able  to  give  a  reason  for 
the  faith  that  is  in  you. 

Out  of  the  Scriptures  we  also  derive  our  moral  code. 
They  tell  us  how  to  determine,  as  Plato  said,  "be- 
twixt the  worse  and  better  reason. "  Like  a  finger- 
board at  the  crossroads,  they  direct  us  where  to  go. 
Our  conscience  answers,  "Yea"  and  "Amen",  to  their 
moral  determinations.  A  man  who  passed  through 
our  Civil  War  has  a  Bible  which  he  cherishes  as  mark- 
ing the  turning-point  of  his  life.  It  bears  the  scar 
of  a  bullet  which  found  its   way   half-way  through 


THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN.  305 

the  volume,  to  the  eleventh  of  Ecclesiastes,  where  it 
left  a  black  mark  of  emphasis  against  this  verse: 
**  Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  youth,  and  let  thy 
heart  cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth;  and  walk 
in  the  ways  of  thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine 
eyes:  but  know  thou,  that  for  all  these  things  God 
will  bring  thee  into  judgment."  Blessed  is  he  to 
whom  a  "Thus  saith  the  Lord"  has  been  thus  forced 
home,  like  a  bullet  to  its  mark.  Truth  must  have  a 
lodgment;  it  needs  a  background.  The  man  who 
can  meet  the  Scripture  half  way  is  bound  to  make 
life  tell.  The  energy  that  comes  to  us  out  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Book  formulates  itself  into  faith  and  princi- 
ple, and  expresses  itself  in  the  duties  of  life. 

But  the  benefits  of  Scripture  are  only  to  be  gotten 
by  appropriation.  We  grow  strong  not  by  virtue  of 
a  Bible  on  the  study-table,  but  by  "  the  Word  of  God 
abiding  in  us."  We  profess  to  receive  it  as  our  infal- 
lible rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Its  truths  are  thus 
transmuted  into  moral  power.  We  grow  rich  as  we 
search  it  for  hid  treasure;  we  grow  wise  as  we  find  in 
it  the  mystery  of  godliness;  we  grow  strong  as  we 
welcome  it  into  our  hearts  and  consciences  and  give 
it  expression  in  nerve  and  sinew,  in  walk  and  conver- 
sation, in  all  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life. 

(r^  And^when_we  have  acquired  this  strength, 
what  shall  we  do  with  it V  The  apostle  tells  us;  we 
are  to  use  it  for  ' '  the  overcoming  of  the  wicked  one. "" 
Is  there,  then,  a  Wicked  One  ?  The  doctrine  of  a 
personal  devil  is  rarely  preached  nowadays;  but  it  is 
impossible  that  men  should  disbelieve  it.\  Sir  Thomas 
Browne  quaintly  says,  ''When  I  see  cities  deserted, 


306  THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN. 

homes  demolished,  mothers  and  children  in  rags  and 
beggary,  I  say,  '  The  Spaniard  hath  been  here.'  And, 
by  the  same  token,  when  I  see  men's  lives  blighted, 
their  hearts  defiled,  their  consciences  seared  as  with  a 
hot  iron,  I  say,  '  The  devil  hath  been  here.' " 

You  need  not  go  far  afield  in  search  of  him.  Turn 
your  eyes  inward  and  you  shall  find  the  evidences  of 
his  malignant  presence.  The  symptoms  are  three: 
"the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the 
pride  of  life."  What  is  the  lust  of  the  flesh  ?  Let  us 
have  no  euphemism  here;  the  words  mean  just  what 
they  say.  What  is  the  lust  of  the  eyes  ?  Our  eyes 
are  the  organs  of  envy  and  covetousness  :  they  are 
never  satisfied ;  they  reach  forth,  like  the  horse-leech's 
daughters,  crying,  "Give!  Give!"  And  what  is  the 
pride  of  life  ?  It  is  satisfaction  with  the  things  that 
perish  with  the  using;  a  sordid  content  with  life  here 
and  now.  A  soul  that  surrenders  itself  to  these  three 
is  under  the  dominion  of  the  Evil  One. 

He  is  everywhere  abroad  in  the  world.  If  it  ever 
could  be  truly  said,  "  He  goeth  about  like  a  roaring 
lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour,"  it  is  true  just 
now.  Our  Lord  and  Master  came  "to  destroy  the 
works  of  the  devil";  and  he  has  laid  the  same  com- 
mission upon  us,  to  tear  down  the  strongholds  of 
iniquity  and  cast  out  the  Prince  of  Darkness  from 
the  hearts  and  homes  of  the  children  of  men. 

Our  war  against  Spain  is  justifiable  only  on  this 
ground.  For  three  weary  years  the  destroyer  has 
relentlessly  wrought  his  cruel  purposes  among  the 
Cuban  people.  They  have  groaned  under  tyranny; 
they   have   struggled    in   vain.      Some    hundreds   of 


THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN.  307 

thousands  of  innocent  victims  have  meanwhile  died 
of  hunger  and  exposure.  I  saw  last  night  two  pic- 
tures side  by  side,  in  startling  contrast.  They  were 
called,  "  The  Two  Mothers."  One  showed  the  Queen 
Regent  of  Spain,  and  by  her  side  the  youthful  king 
in  royal  apparel.  The  other  represented  a  hollow- 
cheeked  Cuban  mother  with  her  gaunt  and  starving 
boy.  It  was  easy  to  imagine,  between  the  two  pic- 
tures, the  malignant  face  of  the  wicked  one.  Our 
armies  and  fleets  go  forth  under  a  divine  commission 
to  destroy  his  works.  Their  watchword  is,  *'The 
Spaniard  must  go  !  "  yj 

But  there  is  a  broader  view.    The  malignant  power^' 
of  the  Prince  of  Darkness  is  seen  everywhere  about 
us.      Crimes   and    oppressions,    sensuality,    Sabbath 
desecration,  intemperance;  all  these  are  works  of  the    / 
wicked  one.      There  are   seven  thousand    dramshops     i\'^ 
on   Manhattan   Island!     These    are    open    mouths   of      ^^ 
hell.      There    is   not  a   right-thinking  or  respectable     / 
man  in  any  community  that  will  undertake  to  defend     ^ 
the  saloon.      It  fills  our  prisons  and  workhouses,  our 
asylums  and  hospitals.      It  has  wrought  evil  and  only 
evil,   and   is   to-day  the    most    potent   and    universal 
expression  of  Satanic  mfluence  on  earth.     Do  we  say, 
in  view  of  long-continued  tyranny  and  oppression  in 
Cuba,    "The    Spaniard    must  go?"     Where   is   our 
sense  of   just  proportion   that  we   do  not  add,  with 
united  voice,  ''The  dramshop  must  go!  "  .--\ 

Our  young  men  cannot  all  enlist  in  this  national 
campaign.  But  God  calls  upon  them  all  to  go  forth 
on  a  crusade  against  the  wicked  one,  and  none  is 
exempt.     This  is  the  Holy  War.     The  man  who  does 


3o8  THE    STRENGTH    OF    A    YOUNG    MAN. 

not  enlist,  misses  the  splendid  opportunity  of  life. 
When  the  Northern  kings,  under  Sisera,  came  down 
against  Israel,  the  beacons  were  kindled  on  the  moun- 
tain tops  and  the  tribes  were  summoned  to  go  forth. 
The  roll  was  called:  ''Judah."  '' Here!  "— "  Eph- 
raim."  "Here!" — One  by  one  they  answered  to 
their  names. — "Meroz."  There  was  silence.  Where 
was  Meroz?  Among  the  sheepfolds  listening  to  the 
bleating  of  the  flocks. — On  went  the  army  to  the 
defence  of  Israel.  The  great  battle  was  fought  by 
the  waters  of  Megiddo.  But  in  the  song  of  victory 
there  was  a  minor  strain:  "Curse  ye  Meroz,  curse 
ye  bitterly  the  inhabitants  thereof,  because  they  came 
not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
against  the   mighty!" 

The  Captain  of  our  salvation  comes  this  way.  He 
speaks  to  every  earnest  youth,  "Follow  me!  Follow 
me  to  the  Holy  War!  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  give  to  sit  together  with  me  in  my  throne."  He 
awaits  your  answer.  Will  you  waste  your  energies  in 
the  pursuit  of  perishable  things,  or  will  you  hear  the 
summons  to  a  better,  nobler  life?  God  grant  that  it 
may  be  written  of  you,  "And  he  arose  and  followed 
him." 


THE  SWORD  OF  GOLIATH. 

"  And  David  said  unto  Ahimelech,  And  is  there  not  here  under  thine  hand 
spear  or  sword  ?  for  I  have  neither  brought  my  sword  nor  my  weapons  with 
me,  because  the  king's  business  required  haste.  And  the  priest  said,  The 
sword  of  Goliath  the  Philistine,  whom  thou  slewest  in  the  valley  of  Elah, 
behold,  it  is  here  wrapped  in  a  cloth  behind  the  ephod :  if  thou  wilt  take  that, 
take  it ;  for  there  is  no  other  save  that  here.  And  David  said,  There  is  none 
like  that ;  give  it  me."— I.  Samuel  21,  8-9. 

The  sword  here  mentioned  had  an  interesting 
story.  The  armorer  who  forged  it  was  doubtless 
advised  that  no  common  blade  would  answer  the 
needs  of  Goliath  of  Gath.  ''Make  me  a  mighty 
sw^ord,"  said  the  giant,  "  with  a  hilt  to  fit  this  brawny 
hand,  a  point  for  a  mortal  thrust  and  a  double  blade, 
sharpened  like  a  razor's  edge.  Make  it  strong,  yet 
not  too  heavy;  well  tempered  and  pliant,  yet  not  too 
brittle,  lest  it  snap  and  betray  me;  nor  yet  too  soft, 
lest  it  turn  its  edge.  In  a  word,  let  it  be  the  weapon 
for  a  warrior  of  six  cubits  and  a  span." 

It  hung  in  the  scabbard,  strapped  to  Goliath's 
thigh,  in  the  valley  of  Elah,  when  he  proclaimed  his 
challenge  to  the  armies  of  Israel:  "Why  are  ye  come 
out  to  set  yourselves  in  battle  array  ?  Am  not  I  a 
Philistine  ?  Choose  you  a  man  and  let  him  come 
down  to  me!  "  Day  after  day,  brandishing  his  spear, 
he   uttered  those  boastful  words;  and,  lo,  all  Israel 

(309) 


310  THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH. 

was  dismayed.  On  the  morning  of  the  fortieth  day, 
he  saw  coming  toward  him  a  ruddy  youth  of  a  fair 
countenance,  with  no  weapon  but  a  leathern  thong. 
His  pride  was  affronted.  '  'Am  I  a  dog  that  thou  comest 
to  me  with  staves?  "  And  he  cursed  the  young  athlete 
by  his  gods.  It  was  a  brave  word  that  rang  back  across 
the  valley,  "Thou  comest  to  me  with  a  sword  and 
with  a  spear  and  with  a  shield,  but  I  come  to  thee  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts!  This  day  he  will 
deliver  thee  into  my  hand,  and  I  will  give  thy  carcass 
to  the  fowls  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  earth; 
that  all  the  earth  may  know  that  there  is  a  God  in 
Israel!"  And  even  as  Goliath  laughed  his  derision, 
a  smooth  stone  from  the  leathern  thong  smote  him 
and  he  fell  headlong.  Then  the  youth  ran,  bent  over 
him,  drew  the  champion's  sword  from  its  scabbard, 
cut  off  his  head ;  and  with  the  dripping  sword  in  one 
hand  and  that  gory  trophy  in  the  other  he  returned 
to  Saul's  pavilion ;  while  the  valley  rang  with  accla- 
mations, ''There  is  a  God  in  Israel!  " 

In  due  time  the  sword  of  Goliath  was  placed  in  the 
tabernacle,  not  as  a  trophy  of  David's  prowess,  but 
as  a  thank-offering  to  God.  It  was  meet  that  he 
should  thus  express  his  gratitude,  for  the  battle  was 
the  Lord's.  He  had  no  reason  to  suppose  that  he 
would  ever  see  that  sword  again ;  indeed  he  seems  to 
have  quite  forgotten  it.  How  many  things  had 
happened  since  he  carried  it  to  the  Holy  Place!  He 
had  known  the  vicissitudes  of  life  in  a  palace;  he  had 
distinguished  himself  on  the  high  places  of  the  field; 
he  had  been  driven  into  exile  by  his  jealous  sovereign 
and  hunted  like  a  partridge  over  the  hills. 


THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH.  311 

He  now  presented  himself  at  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle, a  lonely  fugitive.  In  his  adventurous  life  he 
had  lost  his  simple  faith.  He  begged  for  food.  The 
priest  had  none  to  offer  but  the  loaves  of  shewbread. 
Necessity  knows  no  law.  David  satisfied  his  hunger; 
and  then,  being  unarmed,  begged  for  a  weapon. 
The  priest  said,  "The  sword  of  Goliath  is  here 
wrapped  in  a  cloth  behind  the  ephod ;  if  thou  wilt 
take  that,  take  it;  for  there  is  none  other."  And 
David  said,  "  There  is  none  like  that  j  give  it  me.  " 

He  knew  the  weapon  well.  It  was  a  tried  and 
trusty  blade.  True,  an  enemy  had  forged  it  and  a 
hostile  hand  had  wielded  it;  but  David  knew  its 
weight,  its  temper  and  the  sharpness  of  its  edge. 
Experientia  docet.  Why  shall  he  not  use  this  weapon 
now  in  self-defense  ? 

Here  is  our  lesson.  The  adversary  has  forged 
many  a  sword  against  us ;  we  may  wield  them  to  our 
own  advantage,  by  the  help  of  God.  The  key  to  a 
manly  career  is  in  knowing  how  to  turn  the  tables 
on  the  enemy.  Macaulay  says,  "The  secret  of  suc- 
cess is  to  triumph  over  environment  and  prove  one's 
self  superior  to  adverse  circumstance."  This  is  pos- 
sible, if  God  be  with  us. 

"  I  like  the  man  who  faces  what  he  must 

With  step  triumphant  and  a  heart  of  cheer; 
Who  fights  the  daily  battle  without  fear; 
Sees  his  hopes  fail,  yet  keeps  unfaltering  trust 
That  God  is  God;  that  somehow,  true  and  just, 
His  plans  work  out  for  mortals;  not  a  tear 
Is  shed  when  fortune,  which  the  world  holds  dear, 

Falls  from  his  grasp;  better,  with  love,  a  crust 
Than  living  in  dishonor;  envies  not, 


312  THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH. 

Nor  loses  faith  in  man;  but  does  his  best, 
Nor  even  murmurs  at  his  humbler  lot; 

But  with  a  smile  and  words  of  hope,  gives  zest 
To  every  toiler  ;  he  alone  is  great, 
Who  by  a  life  heroic  conquers  fate." 

The  enemy  is  digging  a  pit  to  ensnare  us.  Let 
him  dig  it  deep  and  wide;  the  deeper,  the  better;  for, 
please  God,  he  himself  shall  fall  into  it.  He  is  rear- 
ing a  gallows  on  which,  like  Haman,  he  means  to 
hang  us.  Let  him  make  it  fifty  cubits  high;  for  in 
God's  providence  he  himself  shall  dangle  from  the 
rope's  end.  He  is  forging  a  weapon.  Let  him 
temper  it  well  and  whet  it  to  a  razor's  edge;  for,  by 
the  truth  of  Jehovah-jireh,  he  himself  shall  test  the 
sharpness  of  it. 

I.  The  sharpest  sword  that  ever  was  forged  against  a 
7nortal  7nan  is  Sin.  All  have  felt  it.  Where  is  the 
man  who  does  not  bear  its  scars?  Some  of  us  can 
show  unhealed  wounds.  But  even  sin,  fierce  and 
terrible  though  it  be,  may  be  turned  upon  the  foe  to 
our  own  advantage.  For,  is  it  not  written,  "All 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God  "  ?  But  whoever  would  use  this  weapon  must 
grasp  it  aright.  There  are  three  conditions;  if  we 
meet  them,  the  victory  is  ours. 

(i).  Confession.  We  must  admit  at  the  outset  that 
we  are  sinners.  Let  there  be  no  mouthing  of  excuses 
nor  disguising  of  the  dreadful  fact.  The  Orientals 
say  that  when  an  elephant  is  about  to  bathe,  he 
muddies  the  water,  that  he  may  not  see  the  deformity 
of  his  feet.  We  are  in  danger  of  making  our  con- 
fession  in   the   same   way.     It  is   impossible  to  ex- 


THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH.  313 

aggerate  the  sinfulness  of  sin.  The  iron  has  entered 
into  our  souls.  We  are  under  the  deserved  wrath  of 
God.  Let  the  prayer  of  David  be  ours:  "Have 
mercy  upon  me,  O  God,  according  to  thy  loving 
kindness:  according  unto  the  multitude  of  thy  tender 
mercies  blot  out  my  transgressions !  For  against  thee, 
thee  only,  have  I  sinned  and  done  evil  in  thy  sight." 

(2).  Absolutio7i,  God  has  made  an  abundant  pro- 
vision for  our  pardon:  ''The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  There  is  no 
reason  why  any,  listening  to  these  words,  should  for 
another  hour  abide  under  the  penalty  of  the  broken 
law.  Christ  has  been  crucified  for  us.  He  has  borne 
our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.  Look  and  live! 
There  is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ 
Jesus.  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be 
as  white  as  snow.  Put  away  pride  and  prejudice, 
and  close  in  with  the  overtures  of  mercy.  He  that 
believeth  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved;  sin 
shall  have  no  more  power  over  him. 

3.  Renunciation.  "Go  and  sin  no  more."  Have 
the  grace  to  profit  by  experience.  If  you  have  visited 
Edinburgh  Castle,  you  will  remember  a  path  along 
the  precipitous  cliff  where  the  enemy  climbed  up  on 
a  dark  night  and  scaled  the  wall.  But  only  once;  for 
just  there  the  wall  was  trebled  and  a  watch  tower  set 
up.  You  know  your  besetting  sin.  The  breach  in 
the  wall  reveals  your  immediate  duty.  Station  senti- 
nels there.  Be  on  the  watch.  Are  you  prone  to 
avarice,  love  of  pleasure,  unholy  ambition,  sensuality? 
Know  your  infirmity;  guard  tbe  breach;  sin  no 
more. 


314  THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH. 

The  man  who  has  attended  to  these  three — confes- 
sion, absolution,  renunciation — is  in  a  coign  of  van- 
tage, where  he  may  get  the  better  of  his  sin.  The 
place  nearest  to  the  heavenly  throne  is  reserved  for 
those  who  have  fought  their  way  heavenward  with 
this  weapon.  The  angels  sing,  "Holy,  holy,  Lord 
God  Almighty!"  but  sinners  saved  by  grace, — the 
penitent  thief,  Mary  the  Magdalene  and  a  great  mul- 
titude whom  no  man  can  number — sing  a  sweeter 
song:  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain;  for  he 
has  redeemed  us  by  his  blood  and  made  us  to  be 
kings  and  priests  unto  God!" 

II.  Adversity  also  is  a  weapo?i  forged  against  us.  How 
shall  we  regard  it  ?  As  cowards  who  lie  down  and 
suffer  the  torrent  to  overwhelm  them  ?  As  stoics  who 
say,  "What  can't  be  cured  must  be  endured"?  Nay; 
rather  as  Christians,  who  believe  that  affliction  work- 
eth  for  them  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory. 

Are  there  hot,  fierce  fingers  clutching  at  your  heart  ? 
O  the  sharpness  of  pain  and  disease!  But  here  is  the 
making  of  manhood.  Paul's  thorn  in  the  flesh  was 
"a  messenger  of  Satan  sent  to  buffet  him."  He 
prayed  thrice  that  it  might  be  removed,  and  God  an- 
sw^ered,  "  My  grace  shall  be  sufficient  for  thee."  He 
lived  to  render  thanks  for  the  ministry  of  that  thorn; 
saying,  "If  I  must  needs  glory,  I  will  glory  in  tribu- 
lation; for  when  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong."  It 
is  a  true  saying,  "  No  affliction  for  the  present  seem- 
eth  to  be  joyous,  but  grievous;  but  in  the  end  it  yield- 
eth  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  unto  them 
which  are  exercised  thereby."     The  leprosy  of  Naa- 


THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH.  315 

man  was  his  deliverance  from  death.  Not  a  few 
were  driven  to  Jesus  during  his  earthly  ministry  by 
their  acquaintance  with  the  ills  that  human  flesh  is 
heir  to.  A  great  musical  critic  was  asked  his  opinion 
of  the  singing  of  a  young  debutante;  he  said,  "It 
lacks  the  depth  of  sorrow,  the  passion  of  tears.  If  I 
were  a  young  man,  I  would  court  her,  marry  her  if 
possible,  maltreat  her,  break  her  heart;  and  in  six 
months  she  would  be  the  greatest  singer  in  Europe." 

Are  you  a  prisoner  of  poverty  ?  Even  poverty  has 
its  compensations.  Our  best  men  are  those  who  have 
worked  their  way.  There  was  a  penniless  lad  in 
Dartmouth,  out  at  knees  and  elbows,  who  received 
from  a  well-meaning  friend  a  recipe  for  oiling  shoes; 
to  which  he  replied,  grimly,  "  I  would  thank  you  for 
a  recipe  to  keep  out  water  and  gravel-stones."  Yet 
this  youth,  Daniel  Webster,  spurred  on  by  difficulty, 
blazed  a  way  for  himself  to  a  foremost  place  in  the 
ranks  of  successful  men. 

But  you  have  tried  and  failed  ?  what  then  ?  There 
is  deep  pathos  in  the  words,  '■^  Receiver's  Sale ^''  above 
a  tradesman's  door.  It  tells  of  fruitless  toil,  of  anx- 
iety and  buffeting,  of  honest  effort  come  to  naught. 
Nevertheless,  defeat  may  lead  to  noblest  triumph. 
If  Russia  is  a  great  power  to-day,  it  is  because  Peter 
the  Great  was  defeated  two  hundred  years  ago  by 
Charles  XII  of  Sweden,  who  marched  against  him 
with  a  paltry  twenty  thousand.  By  that  event  the 
Czar  was  stimulated  to  drill  and  mobilize  his  undis- 
ciplined armies;  and  the  result  is  seen  in  the  com- 
manding position  of  the  Russian  empire  at  this  day. 

The  worst  of  failures  is  in  Christian  living.     Have 


3l6  THE    S\VORD    OF    GOLIATH. 

you  tried  there,  my  brother,  and  failed  ?  Be  not  dis- 
heartened;  to  your  knees,  and  make  defeat  an  omen 
of  success.  Profit  by  experience.  No  man  ever  failed 
more  ignominiously  than  the  apostle  who  denied  his 
Lord  thrice  with  a  bitter  curse.  But  he  never  denied 
him  again.  The  man  of  impulse  and  vacillation, 
throwing  himself  at  Jesus'  feet,  rose  up  the  Man  of 
Rock.  Our  extremity  is  God's  opportunity.  His 
strength  is  made  perfect  in  our  weakness.  The  sword 
of  the  enemy  in  a  brave  hand,  backed  by  a  believing 
heart,  is  the  best  of  weapons  for  an  earnest  life. 

III.  But  what  shall  be  said  as  to  the  sharpness  of  Death  ? 
This  also  is  a  weapon  of  Satan's  forging.  God  never 
meant  that  we  should  speak  of  Death  as  "the  King 
of  Terrors."  Were  it  not  for  sin,  our  dissolution 
would  be  as  peaceful  as  that  of  Moses,  of  whom  the 
Rabbis  say,  "God  kissed  away  his  breath";  as  tri- 
umphant as  that  of  Elijah,  who  ascended  in  a  chariot 
of  fire  to  his  heavenly  home.  We  are  affrighted  at 
death  only  because  of  that  which  lies  beyond.  The 
thought  of  the  Great  Day,  the  possibility  of  an  end- 
less night,  appal  us.  Yet  the  anticipation  of  death 
may  be  made  a  mighty  stimulus  to  earnest  endeavor 
and  a  noble  life.  How  may  we  thus  turn  it  to  ad- 
vantage ? 

(i)  Face  the  fact.  Why  should  we  be  cowards  ? 
We  are  bound  to  die.  Let  us  feel  the  edge  of  this 
^veapon,  as  Jesus  did  in  Gethsemane.  The  purple 
cup  which  was  placed  to  his  lips  was  full  of  the  horror 
if  death.  He  trembled  as  he  looked  upon  it.  "  O 
my  Father,"  he  prayed,  "  let  this  cup  pass  from  me!  " 
And  again,  "  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible  let  this 


THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH.  317 

cup  pass  from  me  ?"  And  again,  "O  my  Father,  if 
it  be  not  possible,  thy  will,  not  mine,  be  done."  And, 
in  appreciation  of  its  full   significance,    he  drank   it. 

(2)  Prepare  for  it.  "The  sting  of  death  is  sin." 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to'destroy  that  sting.  Go 
to  the  cross  and  behold  him  conquering  death  by 
death;  enduring  in  his  own  soul  its  bitterness  for 
you.  Go  to  the  open  sepulcher  and  sing  your  tri- 
umph: '' O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where 
is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death  is  sin,  and  the 
strength  of  sin  is  the  law;  but  thanks  be  to  God  who 
giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ!  " 

(3)  Do  your  appointed  work.  There  is  no  time  to 
waste.  "  Say  not,  There  are  yet  four  months  and 
then  cometh  the  harvest;  lift  up  your  eyes  and  see; 
behold,  the  fields  are  already  white  unto  the  harvest." 
There  is  character  to  build;  there  is  good  to  be  done; 
there  is  trouble  to  assuage;  there  are  souls  to  save; 
there  are  strongholds  of  evil  to  be  broken  down. 

"  Make  haste,  O  man,  to  live, 
For  thou  so  soon  must  die  ; 
Time  hurries  past  thee  like  the  wind — 
How  swift  its  moments  fly." 

Do  your  work;  do  it  well;  do  it  now.  The  King's 
business  requireth  haste.  And  you  shall  face  the 
great  mystery  at  last,  as  Paul  did,  with  joyful  antici- 
pation. He  had  ended  his  journeys  among  the  Mace- 
donian hills;  he  had  finished  his  preaching  in  cities, 
in  synagogues  and  in  prisons.  What  more  remained  ? 
*'I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my 
departure  is  at  hand;  I  have  fought  the  good  fight,  I 
have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith ;  there 


3l8  THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH. 

is,  henceforth,  laid  up  for  me  the  crown  of  righteous- 
ness which  the  Lord  the  righteous  Judge  shall  give 
to  me  at  that  day!  " 

Thus  we  learn  the  lesson  of  Goliath's  sword.  All 
things  work  together  for  our  good.  We  win  our 
triumphs  with  arrows  from  the  quiver  of  the  enemy. 
Samson's  riddle  is  solved:  *'  Out  of  the  eater  cometh 
forth  meat,  and  out  of  the  strong  cometh  forth  sweet- 
ness." 

And  here,  as  everywhere,  Christ  is  our  example. 
The  cross  was  intended  for  his  overthrow.  It  was 
called  '*  the  accursed  tree."  But  Christ  assumed  it, 
bore  it  patiently,  triumphed  over  it,  and  is  now  con- 
quering the  world  with  it.  The  cross  gleams  on  in- 
numerable spires,  is  worn  as  an  amulet  over  the  hearts 
of  believers  and  stands  in  history  as  a  divine  symbol 
of  victory. 

"  In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 
Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time." 

It  is  probable  that  when  David  left  the  tabernacle 
that  day,  grasping  the  sword  of  Goliath,  he  lay  down 
to  rest  in  a  lonely  place.  He  placed  the  sword  beside 
the  stone  which  served  as  his  pillow,  and  kept  his 
hand  upon  it.  In  the  watches  of  that  night  memory 
was  busy.  It  seemed  but  yesterday  that  he  had  gone 
forth  against  the  champion  of  Gath.  He  heard  again 
the  challenge  ring  across  the  valley.  He  remembered 
the  prayer  with  which  he  winged  the  smooth  stone 
as  it  flew  from  the  leathern  thong.  He  heard  the 
shouts  of  the  Israelites  as  he  bent  above  his  fallen 
foe.     He  felt  again  the  grateful  pride  with  which  he 


THE    SWORD    OF    GOLIATH.  319 

had  presented  himself  at  the  royal  pavilion.  And, 
alas!  he  bitterly  recalled  his  forgetfulness  of  divine 
mercy.  He  had  wandered  on  the  dark  mountains 
far  from  God.  When  he  awoke,  his  hand  was  still 
upon  Goliath's  sword;  he  drew  it  from  the  scabbard 
and  looked  along  the  blade.  Was  it  rusted  with 
blood?  It  seemed  as  if  the  weapon  had  been  reforged 
while  he  slept.  What  is  this  that  he  reads  upon  it  ? 
"There  is  a  God  in  Israel."  This  should  henceforth 
be  to  him  not  the  sword  of  Goliath  but  the  sword  of 
the  Lord.  And  he  arose  in  newness  of  faith  and 
went  upon  his  way. 

If  God  be  upon  our  side,  my  friends,  the  weapon 
has  never  been  forged  that  can  hurt  or  destroy  us. 
If  God  be  for  us,  who  shall  be  against  us?  All  hope 
of  success  lies  there.  Look  upon  the  giant's  sword 
again.  Read  there  the  divine  promise:  "All  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  All 
things!  Aye  ;  pardoned  sin,  sorrow,  and  death's 
sharpness,  all  must  serve  thee.  Go  forth  in  this  thy 
might.  Be  strong;  be  of  good  courage;  for  the 
sword  of  Goliath  has  become  for  thee  "the  sword  of 
the  Spirit  which  is  the  word  of  God." 


THE  GOSPEL  OF  CERTAINTY. 

"  For  we  have  not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  when  we  made  known 
unto  you  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  were  eye-wit- 
nesses of  his  majesty.  For  he  received  from  God  the  Father  honor  and  glory, 
when  there  came  such  a  voice  to  him  from  the  excellent  glory,  This  is  my  be- 
loved Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.  And  this  voice  which  came  from 
heaven  we  heard,  when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount.  We  have  also  a 
more  sure  word  of  prophecy;  whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto 
a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day  star  arise 
in  your  hearts  :  knoAving  this  first,  that  no  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any 
private  interpretation.  For  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of 
man  :  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost. — 
I.  Peter  i,  16-21. 

The  greatest  of  current  questions  is  this:  What 
think  ye  of  Jesus  which  is  called  the  Christ  ?  It  be- 
hoves every  thoughtful  man  to  address  himself  at 
once  and  with  all  earnestness  to  this  consideration ; 
for  herein  are  the  issues  of  life  and  death. 

At  this  point  we  observe  a  grave  difference  of 
opinion.  There  are  millions  of  people  who  believe 
in  Christ  as  their  Lord  and  Saviour,  who  regard  him 
as  chiefest  among  ten  thousand  and  altogether  love- 
ly, and  have  accordingly  surrendered  all  their  powers 
of  body  and  soul  to  him.  There  are  other  millions 
to  whom  he  has  no  form  nor  comeliness  that  they 
should  desire  him;  who  reject  his  Messianic  claims 
and  overtures  of  mercy,  saying,  "We  will  not  have 
him  to  rule  over  us." 

(320) 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY.  32I 

It  is  passing  strange  that  there  should  be  such  a 
divergence  of  opinion  in  a  matter  involving  our 
eternal  destiny.  If  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
religion  are  false,  then  the  believers  of  the  past 
have  walked  in  a  dream,  they  that  have  fallen 
asleep  in  Christ  are  perished,  and  we  are  but 
drowning  men  grasping  at  straws.  Then  the  Church 
is  a  masterpiece  of  folly,  history  a  bewildering 
puzzle,  Christendom  a  blot  on  the  map  of  the 
world,  the  progress  of  these  nineteen  centuries  a 
phosphorescent  gleam  in  the  blackness  of  darkness, 
life  a  labyrinth  without  a  clew,  and  death  a  plunge 
into  an  unbroken  night. 

But  if  the  claims  of  Christianity  are  true,  what 
then  ?  All  other  systems  are  false  and  pernicious, 
for  ''he  that  believeth  shall  be  saved  and  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  shall  be  damned";  scepticism  is  blind- 
ness, indifference  a  fatal  mistake,  rejection  of  Christ 
an  unpardonable  sin,  and  a  great  multitude,  among 
whom  are  many  of  our  dearest  friends,  are  fatuitously 
hurrying  on,  lockstep,  quickstep,  to  spiritual  and 
eternal  death. 

In  view  of  such  considerations  it  should  be  the  first 
business  of  every  earnest  man  to  determine  this  ques- 
tion, pro  or  contra,  without  delay.  There  is  no 
neutral  ground.  Indifference  is  the  height  of  folly. 
There  are  many  who  claim  to  be  ''  honest  doubters." 
Let  them  put  themselves  to  the  test,  for  there  is  a 
serious  misapprehension  here.  "  Doubt  is  either  the 
agony  of  a  noble  soul  or  the  trifling  of  a  fool."  It  is 
greatly  to  be  feared  that  many  who  think  themselves 
truth-seekers  are  self-deceived.     Are  they  doing  their 


322  THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY. 

best,  with  all  aids  at  command,  to  determine  the 
great  problems  of  life  ?  An  honest  doubter  is  one 
who,  realizing  the  importance  of  the  issue,  rests  not 
day  nor  night  until  he  arrives  at  truth.  He  puts 
away  all  preconceptions  and,  with  a  clear  conscience 
and  a  single  purpose,  addresses  himself  to  the  point 
at  issue.  He  seeks  no  neutral  ground.  He  perceives 
that  there  is  only  one  alternative:  either  to  receive 
Christ  at  his  word — in  which  case  he  will  close  in 
with  his  overtures  and  devote  his  life  to  him — or  else 
to  reject  him  outright  as  a  self-deluded  fanatic  or 
wilful  impostor,  unworthy  of  faith  or  countenance. 
"How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions;  if  the 
Lord  be  God,  follow  him;  if  Baal,  then  follow  him." 
If,  then,  my  friend,  you  are  an  honest  doubter,  you 
will  weigh  the  evidence  at  once,  and  determine  upon 
it.  You  will  not  be  satisfied  to  hold  judgment  in 
suspense.  You  will  do  one  thing  or  the  other,  accept 
Christ  or  reject  him.  And,  pending  the  settlement 
of  this  question,  you  will  not  sleep  soundly  or  go 
about  your  secular  tasks  with  a  light  heart;  for  that 
would  be  to  trifle  with  destiny.  You  are  standing  at 
the  crossroads;  the  responsibility  of  choice  confronts 
you.  Caesar  at  the  banks  of  the  Rubicon  was  under 
no  more  immediate  constraint  than  you  just  now. 
How  long  did  he  pause  ?  Only  long  enough  to  weigh 
the  argument.  To  remain  where  he  was  meant  failure ; 
to  cross  would  plunge  the  nation  into  civil  war;  he 
passed  over,  saying,  "The  die  is  cast!  "  Great  prob- 
lems do  not  await  our  convenience;  to  solve  them 
without  fear,  delay,  or  vacillation,  is  to  quit  ourselves 
like  men. 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY.  323 

But  how  shall  we  decide  ?  View  the  evidence  can- 
didly, fearlessly,  and  at  once.  The  gospel  appeals 
to  reason.  If  the  testimony  offered  in  its  support  is 
inadequate,  reject  it.  But  go  into  court,  and  remain 
there  until  you  have  heard  the  case  through  and 
passed  upon  it. 

In  our  text  Peter  sets  forth  the  lines  of  evidence  in 
favor  of  Christianity.  They  are  three :  Oral  Testimony, 
Scripture,  and  Personal  Experience.  "A  threefold 
cord  is  not  quickly  broken." 

I.  As  to  Oral  Testimony.  He  says,  '*We  have  not 
followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  when  we  made 
known  unto  you  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;  but  were  eye-witnesses  of  his  majesty." 
He  is  speaking  to  those  who  had  not  seen  Jesus  in 
the  flesh.  He  himself  had  heard  his  sermons,  seen 
his  miracles,  witnessed  his  wonderful  life.  In  partic- 
ular, he  had  been  with  him  in  the  Mount  of  Transfig- 
uration, had  seen  the  garments  of  the  Nazarene  flutter 
aside  for  a  moment,  revealing  the  royal  purple,  and 
had  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  "This  is  my 
beloved  Son."  This  was  no  dream,  no  fable,  no  hal- 
lucination; he  had  seen  and  heard  it.  And  there 
were  others  who,  as  eyewitnesses,  were  prepared  to 
testify  as  to  the  divine  character  and  mission  of  Christ. 
This  sort  of  testimony  is  still  offered  to  sustain  the 
gospel  claim.  But  you  say,  "This  is  mere  hearsay." 
We  answer: 

(i)  Such  evidence  has  valid  weight.  We  are  all 
the  while  accepting  it.  How  do  we  know  that  light 
travels  at  the  rate  of  186,000  miles  a  second  ?  We 
accept  it  on  the  testimony  of  men  who  have  investi- 


324  THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY. 

gated  the  matter.  How  do  we  know  that  a  Spanish 
fleet  is  lying  at  the  bottom  of  Manila  harbor  ?  Men 
who  were  present  have  told  us  so.  How  do  we  know 
that  Croton  water  is  fit  to  drink  ?  We  rest  on  the 
assurance  of  scientists  who  have  analyzed  it.  Ninety- 
nine  per  cent,  of  our  knowledge  comes  by  hearsay. 
We  receive  the  testimony  of  eye-witnesses  unless  there 
is  a  special  reason  for  rejecting  it. 

(2)  Such  evidence,  in  favor  of  Christianity,  has  a 
vast  cumulative  value  for  us.  In  Peter's  time  there 
were  a  few  witnesses  who  could  say,  "That  which  we 
have  heard,  which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  which 
we  have  looked  upon  and  our  hands  have  handled  of 
the  word  of  life,  declare  we  unto  you."  We  have  the 
testimony  of  a  great  multitude,  a  procession  issuing 
from  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem,  and  increasing 
along  the  centuries  from  hundreds  to  thousands,  from 
thousands  to  millions; — passing  through  the  light  of 
fagot-fires  and  under  the  shadow  of  dungeons  and 
gallows-trees,  declaring  the  testimony  of  Jesus  and 
singing  his  praises  until  they  disappear  amid  the 
glory  streaming  from  the  heavenly  gates.  There  are 
some  hundreds  of  millions  of  people  living  to-day 
who  are  prepared  to  testify  as  to  their  personal  expe- 
rience in  the  saving  power  of  the  gospel.  They  all 
certify  with  one  accord,  "We  were  sinners,  troubled 
with  a  certain  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment.  We 
came  to  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation,  trusting  to  the 
efficacy  of  his  blood.  He  said,  '  Thy  sins  be  forgiven 
thee!'  and  his  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding 
came  into  our  hearts.  He  is  our  present  help;  and 
as  to  the  future,  we  are  without  fear.      We  have  not 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAII^TY.  325 

followed  cunningly  devised  fables.  We  speak  from 
experience.  We  know  whom  we  have  believed,  and 
are  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  we 
have  committed  to  him  until  that  day."  It  is  sub- 
mitted that  so  great  a  body  of  testimony  is  of  over- 
whelming weight.  To  a  reasonable  man  it  must  be 
absolutely  conclusive,  unless  some  definite  rebuttal  is 
forthcoming.      No  court  of  justice  would  reject  it. 

The  only  question  is  as  to  the  character  of  the  wit- 
nesses. Can  their  credibility  be  impeached  ?  Peter 
and  his  fellow-apostles  were  men  of  humble  origin 
but  unquestioned  honesty,  who  had  everything  to 
lose  and  nothing  to  gain  by  their  championship  of  the 
crucified  Nazarene;  and  with  their  blood  they  sealed 
their  devotion  to  him.  The  great  body  of  believers 
who  succeeded  them  did  not  claim  to  be  impeccable 
saints,  only  sinners  saved  by  grace;  nevertheless  they 
showed  in  their  walk  and  conversation  the  sincerity 
of  their  convictions  and  the  transforming  power  of 
the  gospel.  And  what  shall  be  said  of  those  who 
constitute  the  Universal  Church  of  to-day  ?  Let  a 
thousand  be  taken  at  random  from  any  fellowship  of 
believers,  and  a  thousand  from  without;  and  let  a 
just  comparison  be  made  between  them.  We  will 
abide  the  issue.  It  was  by  such  comparison  that 
Alexander  Pope,  himself  an  unbeliever,  was  moved 
to  make  this  historical  definition,  "A  Christian  is  the 
highest  style  of  man." 

II.  The  next  line  of  evidence  is  Scripture ;  of  which 
Peter  says,  "We  have  also  a  more  sure  word  of 
prophecy,  whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed  as 
unto  a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place. " 


3^^  THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY. 

How  precious  is  the  Book  divine 

By  inspiration  given  ; 
Bright  as  a  lamp  its  doctrines  shine, 

To  guide  our  souls  to  heaven. 

The  Scriptures  are  here  characterized  by  Peter  as 
"more  sure,"  that  is,  than  oral  testimony.  The  word 
of  eye-witnesses  is  corroborated  by  divine  revelation. 
This  is  the  court  of  last  appeal. 

It  is  obvious  that  there  must  be  somewhere  a  final 
criterion  of  truth.  There  are  standards  of  weight 
and  measure  at  Washington  for  the  testing  of  every 
pound  and  yard-stick  in  our  land.  It  cannot  be  sup- 
posed that  the  Heavenly  Father  would  set  his  chil- 
dren adrift  without  a  chart  for  their  direction.  This 
is  the  ground  and  rationale  of  the  Scriptures.  They 
were  intended  to  be  an  ultimate  and  infallible  rule  of 
faith.  And  they  are  so  received,  despite  all  contro- 
versy, by  the  universal  church.  The  man  who  rejects 
them  is  bound,  in  justice  to  himself,  to  find  some 
other  court  of  final  authority,  where  he  may  seek, 
amid  the  noise  of  conflicting  voices,  a  confirmation 
of  spiritual  truth. 

The  apostle  justifies  his  confidence  in  the  Scriptures 
by  adding  that  they  "came  not  by  the  will  of  man  ; 
but  holy  men  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost."  If  this  means  anything,  it  means  that  the 
men  who  wrote  the  Scriptures  did  not  sit  down  of 
themselves,  with  stylus  and  parchment,  saying,  "I 
will  write  an  account  of  the  Creation,"  or,  "I  will 
write  the  history  of  Israel,"  or,  "I  will  write  a  pre- 
diction of  the  Messiah";  but  they  proceeded  to  their 
work  and  performed  it  under  the  direction  and  con- 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY.  327 

trol  of  the  Spirit.  The  figure  is  that  of  a  vessel 
under  sail.  They  were  "  moved  "  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
as  a  ship  is  borne  onward  by  the  wind  filling  its 
canvas.  They  wrote  what  they  were  told  to  write  by 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

Still  further,  the  apostle  says  that  the  Scriptures  so 
written  are  not  "of  any  private  interpretation."  The 
word  rendered  "private"  is  idia^  literally  "one's 
own."  This  means  that  no  man  is  his  own  inter- 
preter. When  we  speak  of  "the  right  of  private 
judgment"  with  reference  to  Scriptures,  we  mean  to 
exclude  all  human  interposition  ;  but  alas  for  the 
man  who  approaches  revelation  in  the  dim  light  of 
reason  alone.  The  finite  cannot  grasp  the  infinite. 
"Spiritual  things  are  spiritually  discerned."  God, 
who  gave  the  Scriptures,  must  help  us  to  understand 
them.  The  Holy  Ghost,  by  whom  the  sacred  page 
is  illuminated,  opens  our  eyes,  that  we  may  wisely 
read  it.  The  chancellor  of  Queen  Candace,  riding 
in  his  chariot,  with  the  parchment  before  him,  knit 
his  brows  in  perplexity  as  he  read  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah,  ''''He  was  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter;  and  like  a 
lamb  dumb  before  his  shearer^  so  opened  he  not  his  mouth.'* 
Philip  the  evangelist,  walking  alongside  and  hearing 
him,  asked,  "  Understandest  thou  what  thou  read- 
est  ? "  He  wisely  answered,  "How  can  I,  except 
some  man  shall  guide  me  ? "  He  was  then  guided  by 
the  Spirit;  and  the  truth  flashed  upon  him. 

In  order  to  understand  the  Scriptures,  we  must 
put  away  all  preconceptions  of  doctrine  and  accept 
this  divine  aid.  In  default  of  that,  they  are  as  if 
Written  in  an  unknown  tongue.      If  we  read  by  "our 


328  THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY. 

own  interpretation,"  we  read  to  our  own  undoing. 
When  Galileo  sought  to  convince  his  accusers  by  say- 
ing, "  Look  through  my  telescope  and  you  shall  see 
Jupiter's  moons  for  yourselves;  "  they  answered,  "  If 
we  did,  we  should  have  no  case  against  you. "  This  is 
why  men  so  often  see  nothing  in  Scripture,  or  read  only 
to  the  confirmation  of  their  errors;  they  refuse  the 
influence  of  the  Spirit,  by  which  the  truths  of  Reve- 
lation would  be  made  plain  and  clear  before  their  eyes. 

III.  One  more  line  of  evidence  is  named  by  Peter ;  to 
wit^  Personal  Experience.  We  are  like  wanderers  in 
the  night;  voices  are  heard  about  us,  saying,  ''This 
is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it;"  better  still,  the  Bible  is 
given  us  as  a  lantern  "shining  in  a  dark  place  " ;  but 
when  yonder  we  see  the  light  of  the  morning,  our 
perplexity  is  over.  Thus  personal  experience  adds 
final  confirmation  to  oral  testimony  and  Scripture. 
Peter  says  we  do  well  to  listen  to  the  word  of  eye- 
witnesses and  to  give  heed  to  the  lamp-light  of 
prophecy  "  until  the  day  dawn  and  the  day  star  arise 
in  your  hearts.*' 

O  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good!  "  He  that 
hath  the  Son  of  God,  hath  the  witness  in  himself." 
All  voices,  human  and  divine,  are  ineffective  until  by 
vital  appropriation  we  make  the  gospel  an  indwelling 
fact.  Then  we  know  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  power 
on  earth  to  forgive  sins.  Then  we,  becoming  wit- 
nesses ourselves,  can  testify  that  his  love  is  an  ease- 
ment of  all  pain  and  sorrow.  Then  we  feel  his 
friendship  as  the  great  incentive  to  spiritual  growth 
and  usefulness.  The  truth  is  put  beyond  all  per- 
adventure  when  the  day  star  arises  in  our  hearts. 


THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY.  329 

A  woman  came  running  into  the  city  of  Samaria, 
saying,  "  I  went  out  to  Jacob's  well  to  draw  water; 
and  a  wayfarer  met  me  who  spake  as  never  yet  man 
spake  of  spiritual  things;  he  told  me  all  things  that 
ever  I  did.  Is  not  this  the  Messiah  for  whom  we 
have  been  looking  ?  Come  and  see."  They  followed 
her  back  to  the  well  and  heard  him.  They  besought 
him  to  be  their  guest  and  he  abode  with  them  two 
days;  and  many  believed  because  of  his  word.  Then 
they  said  to  the  woman,  ''Now  we  believe,  not  be- 
cause of  thy  saying;  for  we  have  heard  him  ourselves 
and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour 
of  the  world."  Thus  in  the  last  reduction  a  man  is 
savingly  convinced  only  by  personal  experience;  when 
he  can  say,  "I  have  met  Christ,  have  made  his  ac- 
quaintance, have  reasoned  with  him  by  the  way,  have 
learned  to  love  him." 

One  thing  is  better,  and  only  one — to  see  him  in  the 
brightness  of  his  heavenly  glory.  The  day  star  itself 
shall  fade  in  the  high  noon  of  heaven.  Here  we  walk 
by  faith;  there  hope  shall  be  lost  in  fruition,  and 
faith  in  sight.  We  shall  behold  the  King  in  his 
beauty;  and  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see 
him  as  he  is. 

A  native  convert  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  gave  this 
testimony:  "I  listened  to  the  Missionary  when  he 
spoke  of  sin,  and  he  and  I  were  like  two  canoes  go- 
ing side  by  side.  Then  he  spoke  of  salvation,  and  I 
dropped  behind — mast  broken  and  sail  blown  away — 
while  he  sped  on.  The  sea  drove  me  on  a  barren 
coast,  where  I  lay  helpless  for  a  time.  I  arose  in 
blackness    and    darkness  and  felt    my  way  like  one 


330  THE    GOSPEL    OF    CERTAINTY. 

groping  along  a  wall.  Then  I  seemed  to  touch  a 
door ;  I  pushed  for  my  life ;  it  flew  open,  and  I  beheld 
my  Saviour,  the  glory  shining  in  his  face  !  " 

The  fullness  of  revelation  is  before  us.  Meanwhile 
let  us  use  the  light  we  have  and  live  up  to  it.  Let 
us  listen  to  the  voices  of  eye-witnesses,  follow  the 
gleam  of  the  Scriptures  and  heed  the  testimony  of 
our  hearts.  Here  is  the  secret  of  peace  and  moral 
earnestness.  And  in  due  time  all  shadows  will  vanish 
in  the  Sun's  glory.  Our  path  shall  be  "as  the  shin- 
ing light,  which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfect  day." 


THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL. 

"  And  they  said,  Go  to,  let  us  build  us  a  city,  and  a  tower  whose  top  may 
reach  unto  heaven  :  and  let  us  make  us  a  name,  lest  we  be  scattered  abroad 
upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth."— Gen.  u,  4. 

Is  this  a  true  story  ?  There  are  those  who  regard 
it  as  a  myth  or  legend  coming  down  from  the  primi- 
tive ages.  Others,  who  hesitate  to  pronounce  any 
portion  of  Scripture  false,  view  it  as  an  allegory. 
This,  however,  is  evasion.  Tell  a  child  that  the  story 
of  Washington  and  his  hatchet  is  to  be  taken  in  an 
allegorical  sense,  and  his  just  conclusion  will  be  that 
you  do  not  believe  it. 

There  are  certain  facts  to  be  accounted  for:  One  is 
the  Unity  of  the  Race.  It  is  the  custom  of  ethnolo- 
gists to  trace  the  lineage  of  nations  through  a  three- 
fold channel,  Aryan,  Shemitic  and  Turanian,  back  to 
a  single  source.  Another  is  the  Confusion  of  Tongues. 
Such  philologists  as  Bunsen,  Ravvlinson  and  Max 
Muller,  argue  from  a  multiplicity  of  cognate  words 
and  phrases  that  all  languages  sprang  from  one  origi- 
nal. And  still  another  fact  is  "the  Aryan  Cradle." 
It  is  commonly  held  that  somewhere  on  the  great 
central  table-land  of  Asia  there  was  a  gathering  of  the 
clans  from  which  successive  migrations  went  forth  to 
people  the  earth.  These  are  conceded  facts.  If  the 
story  of  Babel  is  not  true,  they  must  be  accounted  for 

(33O 


332  THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL. 

in  some  other  way.  The  presumption  is  in  favor  of 
the  narrative  until  something  better  shall  be  found  to 
supplant  it. 

At  the  subsidence  of  the  Flood  the  survivors  were 
Noah,  his  three  sons,  and  their  families.  In  gratitude 
for  deliverance,  they  "builded  an  altar  unto  the 
Lord  "  and,  gathering  around  it  in  prayer,  made  due 
acknowledgment  to  him.  They  lifted  their  eyes  and, 
lo!  the  bow  of  promise  was  over  them.  And  God 
said,  "This  is  the  token  of  the  covenant  which  I 
make  between  me  and  you:  I  do  set  my  bow  in  the 
cloud;  the  waters  shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to 
destroy  all  flesh."  At  the  same  time  he  divided  the 
earth  among  them  and  commanded  them  to  "go 
forth  and  replenish  it." 

In  pursuance  of  that  command  they  left  Ararat  and 
journeyed  toward  the  west.  The  regions  through 
which  they  passed  were  marked  by  the  desolations  of 
the  deluge,  but  presently  they  came  to  the  plain  of 
Shinar,  where  nature  was  now  putting  on  a  new  garb 
of  beauty  and  fertility.  There  they  tarried  in  all 
probability  for  some  hundreds  of  years,  during  which 
they  were  greatly  multiplied.  Why  should  they  go 
further  ?  They  v/ere  prosperous  and  content.  Then 
came  the  happy  thought :  ^''Go  to^  let  us  build  us  a  tower 
whose  top  may  reach  unto  heaven ;  and  let  us  make  us  a 
name^  lest  we  be  scattered  abroad  upon  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth. "  The  issue  showed  that  this  was  a  foolish  plan. 
They  made  some  serious  mistakes. 

Their  first  mistake  was  in  saying,  "  Let  us  make  us 
a  name."  What  right  has  a  man  or  a  nation  to  "  a 
name  "  ?     The  difference  between  greatness  and  me- 


THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL.  333 

diocrity  is  purely  conventional;  it  is  a  mere  measure- 
ment of  atoms.  Plutarch  says  that  Flaminius,  on 
supping  with  a  wealthy  friend,  complained  of  the 
surfeiting  and  bewildering  variety  of  dishes;  to  which 
his  host  replied,  "Give  yourself  no  uneasiness;  all 
are  of  swine's  flesh,  differing  only  in  the  sauce  and 
dressing."  So  it  is  with  men  whose  breath  is  in  their 
nostrils;  great  and  little,  they  came  from  dust,  and 
must  return  to  it.  Call  the  roll:  "Caesar!"  "Alex- 
ander!" "Napoleon!"  What  are  they?  A  living 
dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion.  Comparisons  are 
grotesque.  Ambition  is  tragi-comedy.  "  The  paths 
of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave. "  No  name  is  worth 
getting  which  is  not  possible  to  the  humblest. 

"  To  serve  the  present  age, 
My  calling  to  fulfill; 
O,  may  it  all  my  pbwers  engage 

To  do  my  Master's  will !  " 

The  same  is  true  of  nations.  The  path  of  history 
is  lined  with  ruined  thrones  and  dynasties.  Sic  transit 
gloria  mundi.  At  this  moment  we  are  dreaming 
dreams  of  American  greatness.  We  have  reached 
the  danger  line.  Our  momentary  victory  over  an 
effete  sovereignty  has  intoxicated  us.  We  are  saying, 
"This  is  great  Babylon  which  I  have  built!"  We 
are  aspiring  to  join  the  syndicate  of  Great  Powers. 
We  are  talking  of  an  Anglo-Saxon  alliance.  Yes; 
by  all  means  let  us  have  alliances — alliances  with  all 
nations — on  the  basis  of  humanity,  but  not  other- 
wise. God  save  us  from  an  overweening  pride !  Why 
should  we  join  the  procession  that  has  marched 
through  the  centuries  with  trumpets  and  flying  ban- 


334  THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL. 

ners  to  dust  and  oblivion  ?  God  has  better  things  in 
store  for  us.  John  Adams  said,  ''I  always  consider 
the  discovery  and  settlement  of  America  as  the  open- 
ing of  a  divine  scheme  for  the  illumination  of  dark- 
ness and  the  emancipation  of  the  oppressed  peoples 
of  the  earth."  Let  this  be  our  glory,  this  our  name: 
to  fulfill  our  manifest  destiny  as  a  nation  divinely  ap- 
pointed to  give  shelter  to  the  persecuted  and  to  send 
forth  the  evangel.  As  a  Christian  people,  it  behooves 
us  to  clasp  hands  with  all  other  Christian  peoples  in 
the  great  enterprises  of  humanity  and  universal  evan- 
gelization. In  this  let  us  content  ourselves,  and  go 
on  singing: 

Our  father's  God,  to  Thee, 
Author  of  liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing. 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light, 
Protect  us  by  Thy  might. 

Great  God,  our  King  ! 

The  second  mistake  of  the  Babelites  was  in  their  de- 
termination not  to  be  "  scattered  over  the  face  of  the 
w^hole  earth."  In  point  of  fact  it  w^as  God's  purpose 
that  they  should  disperse  and  possess  the  earth.  It 
was  with  this  in  view  that  he  had  made  the  landed 
apportionment.  They  had  apparently  forgotten  the 
injunction  delivered  to  them  under  the  bow  of  prom- 
ise. They  were  guilty  of  insubordination  in  resolving 
thus  to  abide  in  the  vale  of  Shinar. 

It  is  bad  policy  for  a  nation  to  shut  itself  up  within 
a  Chinese  wall.  At  the  beginning  of  our  history,  we 
formulated    the    Monroe    Doctrine.       This    was    our 


THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL.  335 

Tower  of  Babel.  The  Washington  construction  of 
that  doctrine  forbade  the  forming  of  any  "foreign 
entanglements."  It  seemed,  indeed,  as  if  we  should 
find  difficulty  enough  in  caring  for  our  own  welfare, 
without  concerning  ourselves  about  the  affairs  of  the 
nations  at  large.  God  thought  otherwise.  A  time 
came  when  we  were  invited,  not  to  say  divinely  in- 
structed, to  lend  a  hand  in  the  overthrow  of  the  un- 
speakable Turk  and  the  deliverance  of  a  persecuted 
people.  But  Armenia  was  too  far  away.  We  re- 
minded the  Lord  of  our  domestic  policy  and  insisted 
that  this  was  a  foreign  affair,  in  which  we  could  not 
entangle  ourselves.  He  then  pointed  to  Cuba,  say- 
ing, "Behold  a  desolated  and  starving  people  at  your 
door."  It  was  to  no  avail.  Three  weary  years 
went  by;  then,  down  went  the  Mai  fie  I  And  the 
spray  of  that  dismal  wreck  rose  like  a  beacon  to  ad- 
monish us.  That  was  God's  way  of  broadening  our 
theory  of  national  life.  It  was  as  if  he  said,  "  This  is 
not  a  question  of  vicinage.  Open  your  ears  to  the 
cry  of  humanity!  Send  out  your  heart  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth!" 

It  is  bad  policy  for  a  church,  also,  to  remain  in 
the  vale  of  Shinar.  The  Master's  word  was,  **  Go, 
evangelize."  His  disciples,  a  feeble  folk,  and  terrified 
by  their  Lord's  tragical  death,  insisted  en  remaining 
at  Jerusalem.  One  day  as  they  were  gathered  in  an 
open  court  there  was  a  sound  as  of  a  rushing,  mighty 
wind.  The  power  of  the  Spirit  rested  upon  them, 
and  they  began  to  speak  in  divers  tongues.  If  this 
meant  anything,  it  was  a  plain  intimation  that  with 
this  polyglot  preparation  they  were  to  go  and  preach 


;^;^6  THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL. 

the  gospel  among  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth.  But 
they  were  slow  to  apprehend  the  great  commission ; 
they  still  huddled  at  Jerusalem.  Then  came  the 
stoning  of  Stephen.  They  looked  into  each  other's 
faces,  pale,  terrified, whispering,  "Our  beloved  deacon 
is  slain !  "  And  in  various  directions  they  fled,  ' '  going 
everywhere,'*  and  carrying  with  them  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ.  God  had  endeavored  to  draw 
them  toward  their  duty  with  the  cords  of  a  man; 
but,  failing  in  that,  he  resorted  to  the  scourge.  No 
church  can  work  in  upon  itself  and  live.  Far  better 
a  plain  conventicle  with  a  broad  heart  than  the  finest 
cathedral  that  ever  was  reared  to  be  occupied  by  a 
people  whose  wizened  souls  were  walled  in  by  selfish 
respectability.  The  currents  of  ecclesiastical  life  are 
centrifugal.  "  There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet 
increaseth;  and  there  is  that  withholdeth,  and  it 
tendeth  to  poverty."  To  go  into  all  the  earth  is  to 
flourish  like  a  vineyard  on  a  southern  slope;  to  tarry 
in  Jerusalem  is  to  perish  of  dry  rot. 

The  same  holds  true  of  the  believer.  To  work  out 
one's  own  salvation  is  the  first  of  duties  chronolog- 
ically; but  it  is  only  the  beginning  of  the  spiritual 
life.  A  man  intent  upon  self-culture,  praying  for  the 
deepening  of  his  spiritual  life,  is  further  on,  but  still 
within  the  bounds  of  selfishness.  A  father  pleading 
for  the  salvation  of  his  household,  claiming  the  bless- 
ings of  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  has  made  still  further 
progress;  but  is  yet  only  "beginning  at  Jerusalem." 
Let  him  not  complain  if,  despite  the  sureness  of  the 
covenant,  his  sons  and  daughters  go  amiss  by  reason 
of  his  selfish  insubordination.     The  old  families  of 


THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL.  337 

Europe  have  sought  from  time  immemorial  to  preserve 
their  estates  by  entailing  the  inheritance;  yet  many 
of  our  American  parvenus  have  crossed  the  sea  to 
take  possession  of  ancient  castles.  The  law  of  entail 
impinges  upon  a  law  of  nature.  By  the  same  token, 
it  is  impossible  to  entail  the  inheritance  of  grace. 
As  you  care  for  the  salvation  of  your  household, 
send  forth  your  sympathies  beyond  the  domestic 
circle.  Forget  not  to  communicate.  Piety  is  like 
the  fragrance  of  ointment :  it  cannot  be  clasped  in  the 
hand.  It  is  like  sunlight;  you  cannot  box  or  bottle 
it.  O  God,  enlarge  our  hearts!  Help  us  to  go  forth 
and  evangelize  the  earth.  We  must  get  beyond  all 
narrow  spheres.  Our  field  is  the  world.  No  man 
liveth  unto  himself.  Followers  of  Christ,  disperse 
your  energies!  "Go"  is  the  word;  go  in  your 
prayers  and  sympathies  with  the  evangel  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth.  Thus  only  can  you  bring 
your  life  into  harmony  with  the  divine  will. 

The  third  mistake  made  by  the  Babel  builders  was  in 
leaving  God  out  of  their  reckoning.  They  made  no 
mention  of  him.  In  proposing  to  build  a  citadel  high 
enough  to  avoid  all  danger  of  another  flood,  they  had 
apparently  forgotten  his  bow  of  promise.  Their 
tower  was  to  reach  unto  heaven  and  stand  like  a  fin- 
ger of  defiance  pointed  at  the  throne.  The  story  is 
told  in  three  chapters  : 

(i).  A  splendid  conception.  "Go  to,"  they  said 
in  mutual  congratulation.  The  architects  were 
called  ;  plans  and  specifications  were  made.  Immense ! 
magnificent!  The  structure  was  to  be  two  miles  in 
circumference,    with  a  road    broad   enough  for  two 


338  THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL. 

chariots  abreast,  rising  in  seven  spiral  terraces 
toward  the  clouds.  When  it  was  finished  they  would 
ride  in  triumphal  procession  to  the  top. 

(2).  Speedy  execution.  All  set  themselves  with 
enthusiasm  to  the  task.  Here  was  clay,  yonder  was 
bitumen;  clay  and  bitumen  would  make  the  best  of 
bricks.  The  foundations  were  laid;  the  superstruc- 
ture rose,  terrace  upon  terrace.  The  women  and 
children  looked  on  with  admiration.  There  were 
plans  for  the  dedication  ceremonies.  No  doubt  they 
would  be  practising  hymns  and  arranging  liturgies 
for  the  approaching  day. 

(3).  Sudden  frustration.  Our  best  laid  plans 
gang  aft  aglee.  God  said,  "Go  to;  let  us  go  down!" 
He  speaks  after  the  manner  of  men.  Indeed,  he  is 
always  coming  down  to  see.  Close  your  ledger,  lock 
your  vault,  keep  your  purposes  close  in  your  heart. 
Still  will  he  search  and  discover  all.  One  morning 
there  came  an  effectual  stay  of  proceedings.  The 
toilers  presented  themselves  to  the  master  workman 
for  instructions  as  usual;  but  they  could  not  under- 
stand. One  asked  of  another,  "What  is  he  saying?" 
What  had  happened?  Were  all  going  daft?  The 
place  was  filled  with  a  jargon  of  confused  voices. 
The  workmen,  perplexed  and  bewildered,  "left  off 
to  build."  Did  you  ever  try  to  converse  with  a 
foreigner  whose  language  you  did  not  understand 
and  who  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English  ?  You 
were  soon  tired  and  must  needs  get  up  and  go.  This 
was  precisely  what  the  Babelites  did.  This  was 
what  God  intended  them  to  do  :  get  up  and  go. 
They  gave  up  their  project,    they  drifted  apart  by 


THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL.  339 

diverse   paths;    they  dispersed   to  people  the  earth. 

It  is  vain  to  oppose  ourselves  to  the  divine  plan. 
Let  the  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  in  array;  he 
that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  will  laugh.  I  have  watched 
a  colony  of  ants  building  their  home;  bright  and 
busy,  running  in  and  out,  making  bricks  and  raising 
their  ambitious  Babel  higher  and  higher.  Foolish 
little  people  !  How  easy  it  is  to  discomfit  them.  You 
may  topple  their  tower  with  your  foot,  and  send  them 
scampering  hither  and  yon.  So  God  holds  in  derision 
those  who  plan  and  purpose  against  his  holy  will. 

What  is  our  lesson  ?  You  have  a  purpose.  I  would 
not  give  a  farthing  for  a  man  who  has  none.  Do  you 
mean  to  be  rich  ?  Take  heed  how  you  leave  God  out 
of  the  reckoning,  then,  for  you  belong  to  him.  Heap 
up  your  wealth,  coin  upon  coin  ;  and  observe  how  the 
image  and  superscription  of  the  King  is  upon  it. 
Kneel  down  by  your  strong  boxes  and  say,  ''Here, 
Lord,  is  thine  own ;  what  wilt  thou  have  me  do  with 
it?" 

Or  do  you  mean  to  make  a  name  for  yourself? 
Take  heed;  you  are  on  dangerous  ground.  Some 
of  the  brilliant  names  of  histor}' — Byron,  Robespierre, 
Philip  II,  Hildebrand,  bloody  Claverhouse,  Napo- 
leon— are  like  bombs  hissing  through  the  air  and  dis- 
charging corrosive  gases  as  they  fall.  These  names 
are  pilloried  before  the  nations.  The  centuries  hiss 
at  them.  But  if  you  mean  to  make  a  name  for  piety 
and  benevolence,  to  extend  your  influence  for  truth 
and  righteousness,  well  and  good.  But  take  God 
into  the  reckoning.  A  name  is  worth  having  only  so 
far  as  he  may  use  it. 


340  THE    TOWER    OF    BABEL. 

Or  do  you  intend,  above  all,  to  work  out  salvation  ? 
If  so,  one  caution:  hearken  to  the  divine  voice.  The 
Lord  has  marked  out  the  plan:  ''Other  foundation 
can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ."  Beware  of  your  own  devices;  lest,  like  the 
Babelites,  you  be  brought  to  confusion.  There  is  a 
way  which  seemeth  right  unto  a  man,  but  the  end 
thereof  is  death.  Take  God  at  his  word.  He  that 
believeth  on  the  Son,  hath  life;  he  that  believeth  not, 
the  wrath  of  God  abideth  upon  him. 

Do  your  best.  Make  your  life  tell.  Achieve  a 
true  success.  It  is  said  of  ^ropus  that  he  was  a 
great  lantern-maker,  but  the  poorest  king  that  Mace- 
donia ever  had.  His  success  was  his  failure.  So  it 
may  be  with  you,  my  friend.  You  may  succeed  in 
some  lower  sphere  and  fall  short  of  the  great  pur- 
pose which  God  has  concerning  you.  What  are  you 
making  of  yourself  ?  You  are  pushing  on  at  a 
tremendous  rate;  but  what  for?  Life  is  structural. 
Build  on  Christ  and  build  the  noblest.  Be  true  to 
your  royal  birth,  to  your  divine  destiny.  Live  for 
your  best  self,  the  weal  of  your  fellow-men,  and, 
above  all,  the  glory  of  God. 


THE  RENDING  OF  THE  VEIL 

"And  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  the  midst."— Luke  23,  45. 

The  veil  here  indicated  was  the  Katapetasma,  or 
inner  veil  of  the  tabernacle.  It  separated  the  two 
apartments,  the  Holy  Place  and  the  Holy  of  Holies. 
Josephus  says  it  was  sixty  feet  high.  It  hung  from 
four  pillars  of  gilded  acacia  wood.  The  hooks  by 
which  it  was  suspended  were  of  gold,  and  its  pillars 
rested  in  sockets  of  silver.  The  fabric  itself  was  of 
fine  twined  linen,  covered  with  richly  embroidered 
cherubim.  It  typified  the  complex  personality  of 
Jesus,  in  which  heaven  and  earth  were  interwoven  as 
warp  and  woof;  the  attributes  of  Godhood  being 
combined  with  the  perfect  graces  of  manhood  in  an 
absolute  harmony  of  moral  beauty.  It  is  by  the 
atoning  work  of  Jesus,  accomplished  through  this 
complex  personality,  that  we  regain  our  lost  estate, 
as  it  is  written,  ''  Having,  therefore,  brethren,  bold- 
ness to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus; 
by  a  new  and  living  way  which  he  hath  consecrated 
for  us  through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh ;  let 
us  draw  near  with  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  of 
faith." 

The  rending  of  this  veil  was  full  of  significance,  as, 
(341) 


342  THE    RENDING   OF    THE    VEIL. 

indeed,  is  every  episode  connected  with  the  great 
tragedy.  It  occurred  on  Paschal  Friday,  the  fifteenth 
of  Nisan.  The  High  Priest  was  expected,  on  the 
evening  of  that  day,  to  lift  the  outer  veil,  or  Kalum- 
ma,  and  expose  the  Holy  Place  to  the  view  of  the 
assembled  people.  They  might  see  there  the  candle- 
stick, the  table  of  shew  bread  and  the  golden  altar  of 
incense,  and  beyond  these  the  Veil  of  Separation 
which  concealed  the  sacred  reliquary.  On  this  par- 
ticular day  the  priest  entered  the  Holy  Place  to 
attend  to  his  customary  duty.  It  was  the  hour  of  the 
evening  sacrifice;  he  was  probably  engaged  in  light- 
ing the  lamps  of  the  golden  candlestick,  when  he  saw 
the  great  curtain  begin  to  part  asunder  from  the  top 
to  the  bottom  as  if  rent  from  above  by  an  unseen 
hand.  He  stood  amazed  and  horrified.  What  could 
it  mean  ? 

It  had  a  deeper  meaning  than  he  suspected.  We 
must  interpret  it  in  the  light  of  what  was  then  taking 
place  on  a  neighboring  hill.  For  three  mortal  hours 
Jesus  had  been  agonizing  on  the  cross.  The  heavens 
had  been  gradually  overspread  by  the  blackness  of 
an  Egyptian  night.  The  sufferer  had  passed  deeper 
and  deeper  into  his  vicarious  pain,  bearing  on  his 
great  heart  the  burden  of  the  world's  sin,  until, 
passing  through  hell's  door  in  our  behalf,  he  cried, 
^'' Eloi^  Eloi^  lama  sabachthani ! ''  Then  silence  for 
a  time,  until  the  hour  of  the  evening  sacrifice, 
when  he  cried  once  again  with  a  loud  voice,  like 
a  soldier  wounded  unto  death  summoning  all  his 
strength  for  a  last  triumphant  word,  Tetelestai — "It 
is  finished!"     It  was  at  this  moment  that  the  High 


THE    RENDING    OF    THE    VEIL.  343 

Priest,  ministering  in  the  temple,  saw  the  veil  rent  in 
sunder.  In  the  light  of  the  great  tragedy,  and  inter- 
preted by  that  final  cry,  what  means  the  rending  of 
the  veil  ? 

I.  The  unveiling  of  the  great  Mystery  which  had  been 
hid  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  Paul  speaks  of 
his  preaching  as  being  "according  to  the  revelation 
of  the  mystery  which  was  kept  secret  since  the  world 
began,  but  now  is  made  known  to  all  nations  for  the 
obedience  of  faith."  (Rom.  i6,  25.)  And  again:  "  By 
revelation  he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery 
which  in  other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto  the 
sons  of  men."  (Eph.  3,  3-5.)  He  speaks  of  himself 
as  a  minister  of  "the  mystery  which  hath  been  hid 
from  ages  and  generations,  but  now  is  made  manifest 
to  his  saints;  to  whom  God  would  make  known  what 
is  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery  among  the 
nations;  which  is  Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory." 
(Col.  I,  26-27.)  And  still  further:  God  "hath  saved 
us  not  according  to  our  works,  but  according  to  his 
own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Jesus 
Christ,  before  the  world  began;  but  is  now  made 
manifest  by  the  appearing  of  our  Saviour,  who  hath 
abolished  death  and  hath  brought  life  and  immortal- 
ity to  light."  (2  Tim.   i,  9.) 

We  are  encompassed  by  mysteries  on  every  side. 
Nature  has  her  arcana^  into  which  the  scientists  peer 
with  eager  eyes.  The  Greeks  and  Egyptians  had 
Isis  and  Eleusis:  the  rabbis  their  cabala;  the  Bud- 
dhists their  occult  doctrines.  There  are  deep  prob- 
lems in  philosophy;  and  as  to  theology,  Milton  says 
the  angels  lose  themselves  in  the  wandering  mazes  of 


344  THE    RENDING    OF   THE    VEIL. 

''free  will,  fixed  fate,  foreknowledge  absolute."  We 
are  born  with  inquiring  eyes.  Our  search  for  truth 
is  along  the  winding  path  of  interrogation.  But 
there  is  one  question  which,  above  all  and  under  all, 
engages  earnest  souls;  to  wit,  What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved!  This  is  the  sphinx  that,  with  dull,  devouring 
eyes,  confronts  the  children  of  men.  For  all  are  sen- 
sible of  sin ;  all  are  conscious  of  the  just  sentence, 
"The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die";  all  feel  that 
the  great  Father  must  have  made  some  provision  of 
escape  from  doom  ;  and  all  alike  are  moved  to  in- 
quire, Where  is  it  ? 

It  is  the  part  of  religion  to  solve  this  problem.  All 
the  false  systems  have  attempted  it.  This  is  the  ratiori- 
ale  of  the  altar  and  the  sacrifice;  this  is  the  ground 
of  mythologies  and  pantheons.  But  there  was  one 
Religion  from  the  beginning,  in  which  God  enshrined 
the  Mystery  of  Life.  Judaism  began  w^ith  the  pro- 
tevangel:  "The  seed  of  woman  shall  bruise  the  ser- 
pent's head;  and  it  shall  wound  his  heel."  No  sooner 
had  man  sinned  than  God  thus  dimly  announced  the 
coming  of  the  Christ,  to  suffer  vicariously  in  expia- 
tion of  sin.  On  this  prophecy  w^as  reared  the  Jewish 
system  of  rites  and  symbols  and  sacred  observances; 
wherefore  it  was  called,  Oikojiomia — the  "Dispensa- 
tion "  of  the  Mystery.  In  this  religion  the  Hope  of 
Israel  was  transmitted  along  the  ages.  Its  elaborate 
ceremonial  served  both  to  conceal  and  to  reveal  the 
coming  Christ.  The  world  not  being  ready  either  to 
receive  or  to  understand  him,  he  looked  forth  as  yet 
from  behind  this  lattice  and  waited  for  the  fulness  of 
time. 


THE    RENDING   OF    THE    VEIL.  345 

The  center  of  this  ceremonial  economy  was  the  Ark 
of  the  Covenant.  The  Jews  were  accustomed  to 
speak  of  Palestine  as  "The  Holy  Land."  The  holi- 
est spot  in  Palestine  was  Mount  Zion ;  the  holiest 
place  on  Mount  Zion  was  the  temple;  and  the  most 
sacred  apartment  there  was,  as  its  name  indicates, 
the  Holy  of  Holies.  Here,  behind  the  great  curtain, 
was  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  It  was  a  chest  of 
acacia  wood  covered  with  gold,  with  a  golden  lid 
known  as  "  the  mercy-seat;  "  over  which  hovered  the 
Shechinah,  or  luminous  cloud,  in  which  God  was 
wont  to  manifest  himself.  In  the  ark  were  three  his- 
toric memorials:  the  tables  of  stone,  on  which  were 
inscribed  the  precepts  of  the  Moral  Law;  a  pot  of 
manna,  recalling  the  wilderness  journey;  and  Aaron's 
budded  rod.  The  ark  thus  furnished  was  intended 
to  symbolize  the  incarnation,  with  its  great  attendant 
truths.  On  the  golden  cover  were  two  cherubim 
bending  down  with  curious  eyes;  as  it  is  written, 
"Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,  God  manifest 
in  flesh":  and,  again,  "The  angels  desire  to  look 
into  it." 

The  most  important  of  Jewish  appointments  was 
the  loth  of  Tisri,  called  the  Great  Day,  or  Day  of 
Atonement.  An  offering  was  made  in  the  early 
morning  for  the  people's  sin.  The  High  Priest,  filling 
his  hands  with  blood  at  the  brazen  altar,  passed 
through  the  outer  apartment,  lifted  the  Veil  of  Sepa- 
ration, sprinkled  the  blood  upon  the  mercy  seat,  and 
made  his  intercessory  prayer.  He  then  came  forth 
and,  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  multitude,  laid 
his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  scapegoat,  which, 


346  THE    RENDING   OF   THE    VEIL. 

bearing  its  burden,  was  led  away  by  the  hand  of  a  fit 
man  to  the  land  of  Azazel  or  oblivion.  The  people 
watched  until  he  disappeared  from  sight,  and  then 
gave  themselves  up  to  rejoicing,  having  received  as- 
surance of  their  deliverance  from  sin. 

Such  was  the  elaborate  system  in  which  was  en- 
shrined the  prophecy  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  This  was 
"  the  mystery  hid  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 
It  is  now  an  open  secret.  The  rending  of  the  veil 
was  the  complement  of  the  death  cry,  "  It  is  finished  !" 
The  fulness  of  time  had  come  for  the  disclosure  of  the 
mystery  within  the  Holiest  of  All. 

II.  It  will  thus  be  perceived  that  the  rending  of  the 
veil  meant  also  an  end  of  Judaisfn.  The  law  of  ordi- 
nances was  a  schoolmaster  leading  to  Christ;  its  pur- 
pose was  therefore  accomplished  when  he  came. "  '  'He 
took  away  the  handwriting  of  ordinances,  which  was 
against  us,  and  nailed  it  to  his  cross."  The  old  econ- 
omy was  a  dispensation  of  shadows;  but  there  are  no 
shadows  at  noon.  The  Sun  of  Righteousness  is  risen 
upon  us. 

God  forbid  that  we  should  speak  contemptuously 
of  Judaism  or  of  its  venerable  rites.  Let  us  take 
heed  how  we  say,  "  I  believe  in  the  New  Testament," 
with  a  fling  at  the  Old;  for  the  Old  Testament  is  the 
foundation  of  the  New,  and  both  together  make  one 
Holy  Book.  There  can  be  no  antagonism  between 
them.  As  well  say,  "I  believe  in  the  rose,  but  not 
in  the  rose  tree";  or,  "I  believe  in  the  brook,  but 
not  in  the  fountain  whence  it  came."  The  moral 
law,  being  written  in  the  constitution  of  man,  abides 
forever;    but  the  ceremonial    law  was    designed    for 


THE    RENDING   OF    THE    VEIL.  347 

temporary  use.       It   passed    away    by  reason    of    its 
fulfillment  in  Christ. 

The  sacred  observances  of  Israel  were  all  compre- 
hended in  oblations  and  ablutions.  The  oblations  or 
sacrifices  were  with  blood,  since  without  the  shedding 
of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sin;  the  only  excep- 
tion being  in  the  case  of  thank-offerings  which  were 
in  grateful  recognition  of  blessings  flowing  from  the 
altar.  The  ablutions  or  purify ings  were  by  water; 
they  symbolized  and  prophesied  the  opening  of  the 
gospel  fountain  for  uncleanness;  as  we  sing, — 

There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood 

Drawn  from  Immanuers  veins; 
And  sinners  plunged  beneath  that  flood 

Lose  all  their  guilty  stains. 

All  rites  and  ceremonies  thus  pointed  forward  to 
Christ  and  are  fulfilled  in  him.  In  organizing  the 
Christian  Church,  our  Lord  preserved  only  so  much 
of  the  ancient  ceremonial  as  should  be  consistent 
with  the  utmost  simplicity.  All  that  remains  of  that 
elaborate  system  is  our  two  sacraments:  Baptism, 
the  initiatory  rite  of  Christian  fellowship,  speaks  of 
cleansing  from  sin;  the  Lord's  Supper  speaks  of 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Lamb  of  God. 

We  are  thus  brought  to  see  clearly  that  a  highly- 
developed  ritualism  is  not  the  religion  of  the  New 
Testament.  It  was  only  fifteen  years  after  the  day 
of  Pentecost  that  the  First  Council  was  held  in  Jeru- 
salem. The  apostles  were  summoned  there  to  deter- 
mine upon  a  matter  which  threatened  to  divide  the 
church.  A  party  of  Judaizers  had  arisen,  who  argued 
that  Christ  came  not  to  fulfill  the  ceremonial  law,  but 


348  THE    RENDING    OF    THE    VEIL. 

merely  to  reform  it.  They  held  that  candidates  for 
admission  to  the  church  must  pass  through  the  cus- 
tomary Jewish  initiation  and  afterwards  adjust  them- 
selves to  the  ceremonial  code.  In  that  Council  ad- 
dresses were  made  by  Peter  on  behalf  of  the  broad- 
minded  Jews,  by  Paul  as  representative  of  the  Gen- 
tile converts,  and  by  James,  the  minister  of  the  local 
church.  Their  contention  was  that  to  insist  upon 
submission  to  the  ancient  ritual  was  to  put  a  yoke 
upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples  which  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  bear.  Out  of  that  Council  w^ent  forth  a  glo- 
rious manifesto  in  behalf  of  the  simplicity  of  Christian 
worship  and  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  obvious  that  an  elabo- 
rate formalism  is  inconsistent  with  the  genius  of  the 
gospel.  To  insist  upon  incense  and  canonicals,  the 
elevation  of  the  mass,  fasts  and  festivals,  bowings 
and  genuflexions,  is  to  be  some  thousands  of  years 
behind  the  times,  I  pray  you,  as  Paul  said  to  the 
Christians  at  Corinth,  "  Be  not  entangled  again  with 
the  yoke  of  bondage.''  We  are  come  out  of  the 
shadows  into  the  light  of  day. 

I  see  a  man  bending  at  an  altar,  who  makes  this 
prayer:  "O  God,  behold  my  oblation;  I  have  paid 
my  tithes,  I  have  brought  the  lamb  for  sacrifice; 
what  more  can  I  do  ?  "  I  see  another  bending  at  the 
cross;  and  thus  he  prays:  '' O  God,  I  can  do  nothing; 
all  my  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags;  but  Jesus 
has  died.  I  believe  in  him :  lean  do  no  more.  In 
his  name,  I  pray  thee,  forgive  my  sin."  This  is  the 
difference  between  Judaism  and  Christianity.     Thank 


THE    RENDING    OF    THE    VEIL.  349 

God  for  free  grace,  for  the  sweet  simplicity  and  glo- 
rious liberty  of  the  gospel! 

III.  And,  finally,  the  rending  of  the  veil  means 
Welcome  to  all.  The  way  into  the  holiest  is  open  be- 
fore us.  There  are  no  guards  about  the  door.  No 
priest  can  interpose  between  the  soul  and  God. 
There  are  no  Christian  priests.  Christ  alone  is 
"  priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek, "  and 
he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us.  In  him 
all  men  alike  are  invited  to  be  kings  and  priests  unto 
God. 

But  what  is  there  to  see  within  the  veil  ?  At  the 
overthrow  of  Jerusalem  an  officer  was  deputized  to 
force  his  way  into  the  temple  and  discover  the  Mys- 
tery of  the  Holiest  of  All.  Presently  a  burst  of 
laughter  was  heard,  and  a  voice  saying,  ''There  is 
nothing  here!"  Only  a  wooden  chest,  containing 
two  slabs  of  stone,  a  pot  of  aromatic  gum,  and  a  leafy 
twig.  For  the  thoughtless  or  irreverent  there  is, 
indeed,  nothing  here.  ''  Spiritual  things  are  spiritu- 
ally discerned."  But  to  an  earnest  soul  the  rending 
of  the  veil  is  access  to  life.  The  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant is  a  silhouette  of  God  manifest  in  flesh.  Its 
golden  cover  sets  forth  the  privilege  of  prayer,  to 
which  we  have  admission  by  a  new  and  living  way, 
''that  is  to  say,  his  flesh." 

O  may  my  hand  forget  its  skill, 
My  tongue  be  silent,  cold  and  still. 
This  throbbing  heart  forget  to  beat, 
If  I  forget  the  mercy-seat ! 

We  lift  the  golden  cover  and,  behold,  here  are  the 
tables  of  the  law:    not  those    that    Moses    brake    in 


350  THE    RENDING    OF    THE    VEIL. 

anger,  but  the  unbroken  tables  of  the  obedience  of 
Christ.  As  it  is  written,  "What  the  law  could  not  do 
in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God,  sending 
his  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh;  that  the  righteousness 
of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us."  And  here  is  the 
pot  of  manna,  a  sweet  memorial  of  Providence,  seem- 
ing to  say,  "Take  no  anxious  thought,  what  ye  shall 
eat  or  what  ye  shall  drink;  your  Father  knoweth  that 
ye  have  need. "  And  the  budded  rod,  eloquent  of  Him 
who,  bringing  life  and  immortality  to  light,  enables 
us  to  say,  "O  death,  where  is  thy  sting?  O  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death  is  sin  ;  and 
the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law.  But  thanks  be  to  God, 
which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ?"  And  over  all  the  Shechinah,  the  luminous 
symbol  of  God's  presence.  This  is  our  pre-eminent 
privilege  in  the  gospel,  to  enter  with  holy  boldness 
and  commune  with  him  face  to  face.  There  is  nothing 
beyond.  "This  is  life  eternal,  to  know  God  and 
Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent." 

Thus  the  way  is  open,  friends,  into  the  Holiest  of 
All.  Sin  is  alienation.  Adam  trembled  when  he 
heard  God's  footsteps  in  the  Garden.  Job  was  terri- 
fied by  the  Voice  from  the  whirlwind.  Moses  hid  in 
the  cleft  of  the  rock  when  the  Presence  passed  by. 
Isaiah  dropped  his  eyes  under  the  great  Light,  cry- 
ing, "  Woe  is  me,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King!  " 
John  fell  before  the  vision  as  dead.  But  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ  repairs  the  ravages  of  sin.  Faith  is  rec- 
onciliation. Those  that  were  afar  off  are  brought 
nigh.      Here  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  is  Immanuel,  God 


THE    RENDING    OF    THE    VEIL.  35 1 

with  US.  Enter,  O  penitent  soul,  and  regain  your 
lost  estate !  The  door  is  open,  the  veil  is  rent  asunder, 
God's  hands  are  stretched  out  still;  he  waits  to  wel- 
come you. 


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